
Text -- Matthew 26:57-75 (NET)




Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics



collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)
Robertson: Mat 26:58 - -- To see the end ( idein to telos ).
Peter rallied from the panic and followed afar off (makrothen ), "more courageous than the rest and yet not coura...
To see the end (
Peter rallied from the panic and followed afar off (

Robertson: Mat 26:59 - -- Sought false witness against Jesus ( ezētoun pseudomarturian ).
Imperfect tense, kept on seeking. Judges have no right to be prosecutors and least ...
Sought false witness against Jesus (
Imperfect tense, kept on seeking. Judges have no right to be prosecutors and least of all to seek after false witness and even to offer bribes to get it.

Robertson: Mat 26:60 - -- They found it not ( kai ouch heuron ).
They found false witnesses in plenty, but not the false witness that would stand any sort of test.
They found it not (
They found false witnesses in plenty, but not the false witness that would stand any sort of test.

Robertson: Mat 26:61 - -- I am able to destroy the temple of God ( dunamai katalusai ton naon tou theou ).
What he had said (Joh 2:19) referred to the temple of his body which...
I am able to destroy the temple of God (
What he had said (Joh 2:19) referred to the temple of his body which they were to destroy (and did) and which he would raise again in three days as he did. It was a pitiful perversion of what Jesus had said and even so the two witnesses disagreed in their misrepresentation (Mar 14:59).

Robertson: Mat 26:63 - -- Held his peace ( esiōpa ).
Kept silent, imperfect tense. Jesus refused to answer the bluster of Caiaphas.
Held his peace (
Kept silent, imperfect tense. Jesus refused to answer the bluster of Caiaphas.

Robertson: Mat 26:63 - -- I adjure thee by the living God ( exorkizō se kata tou theou tou zōntos ).
So Caiaphas put Jesus on oath in order to make him incriminate himself...
I adjure thee by the living God (
So Caiaphas put Jesus on oath in order to make him incriminate himself, a thing unlawful in Jewish jurisprudence. He had failed to secure any accusation against Jesus that would stand at all. But Jesus did not refuse to answer under solemn oath, clearly showing that he was not thinking of oaths in courts of justice when he prohibited profanity. The charge that Caiaphas makes is that Jesus claims to be the Messiah, the Son of God. To refuse to answer would be tantamount to a denial. So Jesus answered knowing full well the use that would be made of his confession and claim.

Robertson: Mat 26:64 - -- Thou hast said ( su eipas ).
This is a Greek affirmative reply. Mark (Mar 14:62) has it plainly, "I am"(eimi ). But this is not all that Jesus said ...
Thou hast said (
This is a Greek affirmative reply. Mark (Mar 14:62) has it plainly, "I am"(

Robertson: Mat 26:65 - -- He hath spoken blasphemy ( eblasphēmēsen ).
There was no need of witnesses now, for Jesus had incriminated himself by claiming under oath to be t...
He hath spoken blasphemy (
There was no need of witnesses now, for Jesus had incriminated himself by claiming under oath to be the Messiah, the Son of God. Now it would not be blasphemy for the real Messiah to make such a claim, but it was intolerable to admit that Jesus could be the Messiah of Jewish hope. At the beginning of Christ’ s ministry he occasionally used the word Messiah of himself, but he soon ceased, for it was plain that it would create trouble. The people would take it in the sense of a political revolutionist who would throw off the Roman yoke. If he declined that role, the Pharisees would have none of him for that was the kind of a Messiah that they desired. But the hour has now come. At the Triumphal Entry Jesus let the Galilean crowds hail him as Messiah, knowing what the effect would be. Now the hour has struck. He has made his claim and has defied the High Priest.

Robertson: Mat 26:66 - -- He is worthy of death ( enochos thanatou estin ).
Held in the bonds of death (en , echō ) as actually guilty with the genitive (thanatou ). The d...
He is worthy of death (
Held in the bonds of death (

Robertson: Mat 26:68 - -- Thou Christ ( Christe ).
With definite sneer at his claims under oath in Mat 26:63. With uncontrolled glee and abandon like a lot of hoodlums these d...
Thou Christ (
With definite sneer at his claims under oath in Mat 26:63. With uncontrolled glee and abandon like a lot of hoodlums these doctors of divinity insulted Jesus. They actually spat in his face, buffeted him on the neck (

Robertson: Mat 26:69 - -- Thou also ( kai su ).
Peter had gone within (esō ) the palace (Mat 26:58), but was sitting without (exō ) the hall where the trial was going ...
Thou also (
Peter had gone within (

Robertson: Mat 26:70 - -- I know not what thou sayest ( ouk oida ti legeis ).
It was an affectation of extreme ignorance (Bruce) that deceived no one. It was an easy and ancie...
I know not what thou sayest (
It was an affectation of extreme ignorance (Bruce) that deceived no one. It was an easy and ancient dodge and easy subterfuge. Dalman ( Words of Jesus , 80f.) suggests that Peter used the Galilean Aramaean word for know instead of the Judean Aramaean word which betrayed at once his Galilean residence.

Robertson: Mat 26:71 - -- Into the porch ( eis ton pulōna ).
But Peter was not safe out here, for another maid recognized him and spoke of him as "this fellow"(houtos ) wit...
Into the porch (
But Peter was not safe out here, for another maid recognized him and spoke of him as "this fellow"(

Robertson: Mat 26:72 - -- With an oath ( meta horkou ).
This time Peter added an oath, probably a former habit so common to the Jews at that time, and denied acquaintance with...
With an oath (
This time Peter added an oath, probably a former habit so common to the Jews at that time, and denied acquaintance with Jesus. He even refers to Jesus as "the man"(

Robertson: Mat 26:73 - -- They that stood by ( hoi hestōtes ).
The talk about Peter continued. Luke (Luk 22:59) states that the little while was about an hour. The bystander...
They that stood by (
The talk about Peter continued. Luke (Luk 22:59) states that the little while was about an hour. The bystanders came up to Peter and bluntly assert that he was "of a truth"(

Robertson: Mat 26:74 - -- Then began he to curse and to swear ( tote ērxato katathematizein kai omnuein ).
He repeated his denial with the addition of profanity to prove tha...
Then began he to curse and to swear (
He repeated his denial with the addition of profanity to prove that he was telling the truth instead of the lie that they all knew. His repeated denials gave him away still more, for he could not pronounce the Judean gutterals. He called down on himself (

Robertson: Mat 26:74 - -- The cock crew ( alektōn ephōnēsen ).
No article in the Greek, just "a cock crew"at that juncture, "straightway"(euthus ). But it startled Pete...
The cock crew (
No article in the Greek, just "a cock crew"at that juncture, "straightway"(

Robertson: Mat 26:75 - -- Peter remembered ( emnēsthē ho Petros ).
A small thing, but magna circumstantia (Bengel). In a flash of lightning rapidity he recalled the word...
Peter remembered (
A small thing, but magna circumstantia (Bengel). In a flash of lightning rapidity he recalled the words of Jesus a few hours before (Mat 26:34) which he had then scouted with the proud boast that "even if I must die with thee, yet will I not deny thee"(Mat 26:35). And now this triple denial was a fact. There is no extenuation for the base denials of Peter. He had incurred the dread penalty involved in the words of Jesus in Mat 10:33 of denial by Jesus before the Father in heaven. But Peter’ s revulsion of feeling was as sudden as his sin.

Robertson: Mat 26:75 - -- He went out and wept bitterly ( exelthōn exō eklausen pikrōs ).
Luke adds that the Lord turned and looked upon Peter (Luk 22:61). That look bro...
He went out and wept bitterly (
Luke adds that the Lord turned and looked upon Peter (Luk 22:61). That look brought Peter back to his senses. He could not stay where he now was with the revilers of Jesus. He did not feel worthy or able to go openly into the hall where Jesus was. So outside he went with a broken heart. The constative aorist here does not emphasize as Mark’ s imperfect does (Mar 14:72,
Vincent: Mat 26:63 - -- I adjure thee
I call upon thee to swear. The high-priest put Christ upon oath.
I adjure thee
I call upon thee to swear. The high-priest put Christ upon oath.

Vincent: Mat 26:63 - -- That ( ἵνα )
In order that; signifying the design with which he adjured the Lord.
That (
In order that; signifying the design with which he adjured the Lord.

Vincent: Mat 26:64 - -- Thou hast said
An affirmation. You have spoken the truth. What thou hast asked me is the fact. Compare Mat 26:25.
Thou hast said
An affirmation. You have spoken the truth. What thou hast asked me is the fact. Compare Mat 26:25.

Vincent: Mat 26:64 - -- Nevertheless ( πλὴν )
However. Apart from my affirmation, you shall see for yourself.
Nevertheless (
However. Apart from my affirmation, you shall see for yourself.

Vincent: Mat 26:66 - -- Guilty of death ( ἔνοχος θανάτου )
Rev., worthy of death. See on Mat 23:18. ἐν , in, ἔχω , to hold. The idea is...
Guilty of death (
Rev., worthy of death. See on Mat 23:18.

Buffet (
With the fist.

Vincent: Mat 26:67 - -- Smote with the palms of their hands
All expressed by one word, ἐράπισαν , from ῥαπίς , a rod, and meaning to smite with rod...
Smote with the palms of their hands
All expressed by one word,

Vincent: Mat 26:69 - -- A damsel ( μία παιδίσκη )
Lit., one damsel, because the writer has in mind a second one (Mat 26:71).
A damsel (
Lit., one damsel, because the writer has in mind a second one (Mat 26:71).

Gone out
Through fear of being further questioned.

The man
As if he did not know Jesus' name.

Vincent: Mat 26:74 - -- To curse ( καταθεματίζειν )
A new development of profanity. Hitherto he had merely sworn. Now he adds imprecation; invoking c...
To curse (
A new development of profanity. Hitherto he had merely sworn. Now he adds imprecation; invoking curses on himself if the case be not as he says.
Wesley: Mat 26:57 - -- From the house of Annas, the father - in - law of Caiaphas, to whom they had carried him first. Mar 14:53; Luk 22:54; Joh 18:12.

Wesley: Mat 26:58 - -- Variously agitated by conflicting passions; love constrained him to follow his Master; fear made him follow afar off. And going in, sat with the serva...
Variously agitated by conflicting passions; love constrained him to follow his Master; fear made him follow afar off. And going in, sat with the servants - Unfit companions as the event showed.

On whose evidence they could condemn him to die.

Wesley: Mat 26:60 - -- Such they were, although part of what they said was true; because our Lord did not speak some of those words at all; nor any of them in this sense.
Such they were, although part of what they said was true; because our Lord did not speak some of those words at all; nor any of them in this sense.

Wesley: Mat 26:64 - -- He speaks in the third person, modestly, and yet plainly; Sitting on the right hand of power - That is, the right hand of God: And coming upon the clo...
He speaks in the third person, modestly, and yet plainly; Sitting on the right hand of power - That is, the right hand of God: And coming upon the clouds of heaven - As he is represented by Daniel, Dan 7:13-14. Our Lord looked very unlike that person now! But nothing could be more awful, more majestic and becoming, than such an admonition in such circumstances!

Wesley: Mat 26:65 - -- Though the high priest was forbidden to rend his clothes (that is, his upper garment) in some cases where others were allowed to do it, Lev 21:10; yet...
Though the high priest was forbidden to rend his clothes (that is, his upper garment) in some cases where others were allowed to do it, Lev 21:10; yet in case of blasphemy or any public calamity, it was thought allowable. Caiaphas hereby expressed, in the most artful manner, his horror at hearing such grievous blasphemy.

Wesley: Mat 26:67 - -- After he had declared he was the Son of God, the sanhedrim doubtless ordered him to be carried out, while they were consulting what to do. And then it...
After he had declared he was the Son of God, the sanhedrim doubtless ordered him to be carried out, while they were consulting what to do. And then it was that the soldiers who kept him began these insults upon him.

To which possibly he was not unaccustomed, before our Lord called him.

Wesley: Mat 26:73 - -- Malchus might have brought a stronger proof than this. But such is the overruling providence of God, that the world, in the height of their zeal, comm...
Malchus might have brought a stronger proof than this. But such is the overruling providence of God, that the world, in the height of their zeal, commonly catch hold of the very weakest of all arguments against the children of God.

Having now quite lost the reins, the government of himself.
Clarke -> Mat 26:57; Mat 26:58; Mat 26:58; Mat 26:59; Mat 26:60; Mat 26:61; Mat 26:62; Mat 26:63; Mat 26:64; Mat 26:65; Mat 26:65; Mat 26:66; Mat 26:67; Mat 26:67; Mat 26:67; Mat 26:68; Mat 26:69; Mat 26:69; Mat 26:70; Mat 26:71; Mat 26:72; Mat 26:73; Mat 26:73; Mat 26:74; Mat 26:74; Mat 26:75; Mat 26:75; Mat 26:75
Clarke: Mat 26:57 - -- They - led him away to Caiaphas - John says, Joh 18:13, that they led him first to Annas; but this appears to have been done merely to do him honor ...
They - led him away to Caiaphas - John says, Joh 18:13, that they led him first to Annas; but this appears to have been done merely to do him honor as the father-in-law of Caiaphas, and his colleague in the high priesthood. But as the Sanhedrin was assembled at the house of Caiaphas, it was there he must be brought to undergo his mock trial: but see on Joh 18:13 (note).

Clarke: Mat 26:58 - -- Peter followed him afar off - Poor Peter! this is the beginning of his dreadful fall. His fear kept him from joining the company, and publicly ackno...
Peter followed him afar off - Poor Peter! this is the beginning of his dreadful fall. His fear kept him from joining the company, and publicly acknowledging his Lord; and his affection obliged him to follow at a distance that he might see the end

Clarke: Mat 26:58 - -- And sat with the servants, to see the end - When a man is weak in faith, and can as yet only follow Christ at a distance, he should avoid all danger...
And sat with the servants, to see the end - When a man is weak in faith, and can as yet only follow Christ at a distance, he should avoid all dangerous places, and the company of those who are most likely to prove a snare to him. Had not Peter got to the high priest’ s palace, and sat down with the servants, he would not thus have denied his Lord and Master. Servants-officers,

Clarke: Mat 26:59 - -- All the council sought false witness - What a prostitution of justice! - they first resolve to ruin him, and then seek the proper means of effecting...
All the council sought false witness - What a prostitution of justice! - they first resolve to ruin him, and then seek the proper means of effecting it: they declare him criminal, and after that do all they can to fix some crime upon him, that they may appear to have some shadow of justice on their side when they put him to death. It seems to have been a common custom of this vile court to employ false witness, on any occasion, to answer their own ends. See this exemplified in the case of Stephen, Act 6:11-13.

Clarke: Mat 26:60 - -- Though many false witnesses came - There is an unaccountable confusion in the MSS. in this verse: without stating the variations, which may be seen ...
Though many false witnesses came - There is an unaccountable confusion in the MSS. in this verse: without stating the variations, which may be seen in Griesbach, I shall give that which I believe to be the genuine sense of the evangelist. Then the chief priests and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; but they found it not, though many false witnesses came up. At last two false witnesses came up, saying; This man said, etc. It is the property of falsity to be ever inconsistent, and to contradict itself; therefore they could not find two consistent testimonies, without which the Jewish law did not permit any person to be put to death. However, the hand of God was in this business: for the credit of Jesus, and the honor of the Christian religion, he would not permit him to be condemned on a false accusation; and, therefore, at last they were obliged to change their ground, and, to the eternal confusion of the unrighteous council, he is condemned on the very evidence of his own innocence, purity, and truth!

Clarke: Mat 26:61 - -- I am able to destroy the temple of God -
1st. These words were not fairly quoted. Jesus had said, Joh 2:19, Destroy this temple, and I will build it...
I am able to destroy the temple of God -
1st. These words were not fairly quoted. Jesus had said, Joh 2:19, Destroy this temple, and I will build it again in three days
2dly. The inuendo which they produce, applying these words to a pretended design to destroy the temple at Jerusalem, was utterly unfair; for these words he spoke of the temple of his body
It is very easy, by means of a few small alterations, to render the most holy things and innocent persons odious to the world, and even to take away the life of the innocent.

Clarke: Mat 26:62 - -- Answerest thou nothing? - The accusation was so completely frivolous that it merited no notice: besides, Jesus knew that they were determined to put...
Answerest thou nothing? - The accusation was so completely frivolous that it merited no notice: besides, Jesus knew that they were determined to put him to death, and that his hour was come; and that therefore remonstrance or defense would be of no use: he had often before borne sufficient testimony to the truth.

Clarke: Mat 26:63 - -- I adjure thee by the living God - I put thee to thy oath. To this solemn adjuration Christ immediately replies, because he is now called on, in the ...
I adjure thee by the living God - I put thee to thy oath. To this solemn adjuration Christ immediately replies, because he is now called on, in the name of God, to bear another testimony to the truth. The authority of God in the most worthless magistrate should be properly respected. However necessary our Lord saw it to be silent, when the accusations were frivolous, and the evidence contradictory, he felt no disposition to continue this silence, when questioned concerning a truth, for which he came into the world to shed his blood.

Clarke: Mat 26:64 - -- Thou hast said - That is, I am the Christ, the promised Messiah, (see on Mat 26:25 (note)); and you and this whole nation shall shortly have the ful...
Thou hast said - That is, I am the Christ, the promised Messiah, (see on Mat 26:25 (note)); and you and this whole nation shall shortly have the fullest proof of it: for hereafter, in a few years, ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, fully invested with absolute dominion, and coming in the clouds of heaven, to execute judgment upon this wicked race. See Mat 24:30. Our Lord appears to refer to Dan 7:13 : One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, etc. This may also refer to the final judgment.

Clarke: Mat 26:65 - -- The high priest rent his clothes - This rending of the high priest’ s garments was expressly contrary to the law, Lev 10:6 : Lev 21:10. But it ...
The high priest rent his clothes - This rending of the high priest’ s garments was expressly contrary to the law, Lev 10:6 : Lev 21:10. But it was a common method of expressing violent grief, Gen 37:29, Gen 37:34; Job 1:20, and horror at what was deemed blasphemous or impious. 2Ki 18:37; 2Ki 19:1; Act 14:14. All that heard a blasphemous speech were obliged to rend their clothes, and never to sew them up again. See Lightfoot

Clarke: Mat 26:65 - -- He hath spoken blasphemy - Quesnel’ s note on this is worthy of notice. "See here a false zeal, a mask of religion, and a passionate and sediti...
He hath spoken blasphemy - Quesnel’ s note on this is worthy of notice. "See here a false zeal, a mask of religion, and a passionate and seditious way of proceeding, tending only to incense and stir up others, all which are common to those who would oppress truth by cabal, and without proof. By crying out, ‘ heresy, blasphemy, and faction,’ though contrary to all appearance, men fail not to stir up those in power, to gain the simple, to give some shadow of authority to the ill-disposed, to cast devout but ignorant people into scruples, and thereby to advance the mystery of iniquity, which is the mystery of all ages."This was the very plan his Catholic brethren adopted in this country, in the reign of Queen Mary, called the bloody queen, because of the many murders of righteous men which she sanctioned at the mouth of her Catholic priesthood.

Clarke: Mat 26:66 - -- He is guilty of death - Ενοχος θανατου εστι, he is liable to death. All the forms of justice are here violated. The judge becomes ...
He is guilty of death -

Clarke: Mat 26:67 - -- Then did they spit in his face - This was done as a mark of the most profound contempt. See Job 16:10; Job 30:10; Isa 50:6; Mic 5:1. The judges now ...

Clarke: Mat 26:67 - -- And buffeted him - Smote him with their fists, εκολαφισαν . This is the translation of Theophylact. Κολαφιζειν, says he, means...
And buffeted him - Smote him with their fists,

Clarke: Mat 26:67 - -- Smote him with the palms of their hands - Ερραπισαν. Ραπιζω, says Suidas, means " παταξαι την γναθον απλη τη ...
Smote him with the palms of their hands -

Clarke: Mat 26:68 - -- Prophesy unto us, thou Christ - Their conduct toward him now was expressly prophesied of, by a man whose Divine mission they did not pretend to deny...

Clarke: Mat 26:69 - -- A damsel came unto him - A maid servant, παιδισκη . See this translation vindicated by Kypke
A damsel came unto him - A maid servant,

Clarke: Mat 26:69 - -- Thou also wast with Jesus - What a noble opportunity had Peter now to show his zeal for the insulted cause of truth, and his attachment to his Maste...
Thou also wast with Jesus - What a noble opportunity had Peter now to show his zeal for the insulted cause of truth, and his attachment to his Master. But, alas! he is shorn of his strength. Constables and maid servants are no company for an apostle, except when he is delivering to them the message of salvation. Evil communications corrupt good manners. Had Peter been in better company, he would not have had so foul a fall.

Clarke: Mat 26:70 - -- But he denied before them all - So the evil principle gains ground. Before, he followed at a distance, now he denies; this is the second gradation i...
But he denied before them all - So the evil principle gains ground. Before, he followed at a distance, now he denies; this is the second gradation in his fall.

Clarke: Mat 26:71 - -- Unto them that were there - Instead of λεγει τοις εκει· και, more than one hundred MSS., many of which are of the first authority ...
Unto them that were there - Instead of

Clarke: Mat 26:72 - -- And again he denied with an oath - This is a third gradation of his iniquity. He has told a lie, and he swears to support it. A liar has always some...
And again he denied with an oath - This is a third gradation of his iniquity. He has told a lie, and he swears to support it. A liar has always some suspicion that his testimony is not credited, for he is conscious to his own falsity, and is therefore naturally led to support his assertions by oaths.

Clarke: Mat 26:73 - -- Thy speech - Thy manner of speech, η λαλια σου, that dialect of thine - his accent being different from that of Jerusalem. From various ex...
Thy speech - Thy manner of speech,

Clarke: Mat 26:73 - -- Bewrayeth thee - Δηλου σε ποιει, maketh thee manifest, from the Anglo-saxon, to accuse, betray ; a word long since lost from our langua...
Bewrayeth thee -

Clarke: Mat 26:74 - -- Then began he to curse and to swear - Rather, Then he began positively to affirm - καταθεματιζειν, from κατα intensive, and τ...
Then began he to curse and to swear - Rather, Then he began positively to affirm -

Clarke: Mat 26:74 - -- The cock crew - This animal becomes, in the hand of God, the instrument of awaking the fallen apostle, at last, to a sense of his fall, danger, and ...
The cock crew - This animal becomes, in the hand of God, the instrument of awaking the fallen apostle, at last, to a sense of his fall, danger, and duty. When abandoned of God, the smallest thing may become the occasion of a fall; and, when in the hand of God, the smallest matter may become the instrument of our restoration. Let us never think lightly of what are termed little sins: the smallest one has the seed of eternal ruin in it. Let us never think contemptibly of the feeblest means of grace: each may have the seed of eternal salvation in it. Let us ever remember that the great Apostle Peter fell through fear of a servant maid, and rose through the crowing of a cock.

Clarke: Mat 26:75 - -- Peter remembered the word of Jesus - St. Luke says, Luk 22:61, The Lord turned and looked upon Peter. So it appears he was nigh to our Lord, either ...
Peter remembered the word of Jesus - St. Luke says, Luk 22:61, The Lord turned and looked upon Peter. So it appears he was nigh to our Lord, either at the time when the cock crew, or shortly after. The delicacy of this reproof was great - he must be reproved and alarmed, otherwise he will proceed yet farther in his iniquity; Christ is in bonds, and cannot go and speak to him; if he call aloud, the disciple is discovered, and falls a victim to Jewish malice and Roman jealousy; he therefore does the whole by a look. In the hand of Omnipotence every thing is easy, and he can save by a few, as well as by many

Clarke: Mat 26:75 - -- He went out - He left the place where he had sinned, and the company which had been the occasion of his transgression
He went out - He left the place where he had sinned, and the company which had been the occasion of his transgression

Clarke: Mat 26:75 - -- And wept bitterly - Felt bitter anguish of soul, which evidenced itself by the tears of contrition which flowed plentifully from his eyes. Let him t...
And wept bitterly - Felt bitter anguish of soul, which evidenced itself by the tears of contrition which flowed plentifully from his eyes. Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall! Where the mighty have been slain, what shall support the feeble? Only the grace of the Almighty God
This transaction is recorded by the inspired penmen
1st. That all may watch unto prayer, and shun the occasions of sin
2dly. That if a man be unhappily overtaken in a fault, he may not despair, but cast himself immediately with a contrite heart on the infinite tenderness and compassion of God. See the notes on Joh 18:27
I have touched on the subject of our Lord’ s anointing but slightly in the preceding notes, because the controversy upon this point is not yet settled; and, except to harmonists, it is a matter of comparatively little importance. Bishop Newcome has written largely on this fact, and I insert an extract from his notes
Calvin: Mat 26:57 - -- Luke follows a different order from Matthew and Mark in the narrative; but when we come to the proper place, we will endeavor to reconcile the points...
Luke follows a different order from Matthew and Mark in the narrative; but when we come to the proper place, we will endeavor to reconcile the points in which they differ. It will be proper, in the meantime, to glance briefly at those things which claim our attention in the words of Matthew and Mark. First, in order to remove the offense of the cross, we ought to consider the advantage which we have derived from Christ’s emptying of himself, (Phi 2:7;) for thus will the inestimable goodness of God, and the efficacy of his grace, be found to remove by its brightness every thing in it that was disagreeable or shameful. According to the flesh, it was disgraceful that the Son of God should be seized, bound, and made a prisoner; but when we reflect that by his chains we are loosed from the tyranny of the devil, and from the condemnation in which we were involved before God, not only is the stumbling-block, on which our faith might have struck, removed out of the way, but in place of it there comes an admiration of the boundless grace of God, who set so high a value on our deliverance, as to give up his only-begotten Son to be bound by wicked men. This will also be a pledge of the astonishing love of Christ towards us, that he spared not himself, but willingly submitted to wear fetters on his flesh, that our souls might be freed from fetters of a far worse description.
Mat 26:57. But they who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas. Though the Jews had been deprived of what is called, the higher jurisdiction, there still lingered among them some vestiges of that judicial authority which the Law confers on the high priest, (Deu 1:8;) so that, while they had lost the absolute authority, 223 they retained the power of administering moderate correction. This is the reason why Christ is brought before the high priest to be interrogated; not that a final sentence may be pronounced on him by theft tribunal, but that the priests may afterwards present him before the governor, under the aggravating influence of their decision. 224 Caiaphas the high priest was also named Joseph, and this man—as we are told by the historian Josephus—was appointed to be high priest by Valerius Gratus, governor of Judea, when Simon, the son of Camithus, was deposed from that office. 225 The Evangelists give his surname only, 226 perhaps because he was more generally named, and better known, by it.
Matthew says that the priests assembled in the house of Caiaphas; and that they were already assembled at midnight, before Christ was brought, but because the place of meeting had been appointed, that, as soon as the information reached them, they might meet hastily at an early hour in the morning; though we have lately seen that some who belonged to the order of the priesthood went out by night, along with the soldiers, to seize Christ. But we have frequently seen, in other passages, that the Evangelists were not very exact in adhering to the order of time. In this passage, certainly, they had no other object in view than to show that the Son of God was oppressed by a wicked conspiracy of the whole council. And here a frightful and hideous spectacle is placed before our eyes; for nowhere else than at Jerusalem was there at that time either a temple of God, or lawful worship, or the face of a Church. The high priest was a figure of the only Mediator between God and men; those who sat along with him in the council represented the whole Church of God; and yet all of them unite in conspiring to extinguish the only hope Of salvation. But as it had been declared by prediction of David, that
the stone which the builders rejected would nevertheless become the head-stone of the corner, (Psa 118:22;)
and as Isaiah had foretold that
the God of armies would be to the whole people of Israel a stone of stumbling, on which they would dash themselves,
(Isa 8:14)
the Lord wisely made provision that such wickedness of men should not perplex believing souls.

Calvin: Mat 26:59 - -- 59.Sought false witness By these words the Evangelists remark, that nothing was farther from the design of the priests than to inquire into the cause...
59.Sought false witness By these words the Evangelists remark, that nothing was farther from the design of the priests than to inquire into the cause, so that, when the matter was thoroughly understood, they might decide what was proper. For they had previously resolved to put Christ to death, and now they only seek a pretense for oppressing him. Now it is impossible that equity can have any place where an examination of the cause is not the first step. In seeking false witnesses, their treacherous cruelty is manifested; and when, after being disappointed of their expectation, they still do not desist, this affords a still more striking display of their blinded obstinacy. Thus, amidst the darkness of their rage, the innocence of the Son of God shone so brightly, that the devils themselves might know that he died innocent.

Calvin: Mat 26:60 - -- It ought to be observed, also, that the appellation of false witnesses is applied not to those who contrive a lie which had no foundation, but to t...
It ought to be observed, also, that the appellation of false witnesses is applied not to those who contrive a lie which had no foundation, but to those who calumniously pervert what was justly said, and turn it into a crime; an instance of which is here expressly related as to the destruction and rebuilding of the temple. Christ had indeed said, that when
the temple of his body was destroyed,
he would raise it up within three days, (Joh 2:19.)
The false witnesses do not now resort to some new contrivance, but they put a wrong interpretation on his words, as if he boasted that he would practice some juggling in building the temple. Now as the calumny was trivial and worthless, we may readily infer from it how greatly the priests and scribes were blinded by their fury, since, without any pretext, they demand that Christ shall be put to death.

Calvin: Mat 26:62 - -- Mat 26:62.And the high priest, rising up It is certain that Christ was silent when false witnesses pressed hard upon him, not only because they di...
Mat 26:62.And the high priest, rising up It is certain that Christ was silent when false witnesses pressed hard upon him, not only because they did not deserve a reply, but because he did not seek to be now acquitted, knowing that his hour was come. But Caiaphas triumphs over him on account of his silence, as if he was struck dumb by being vanquished; which is usually the case with men who are conscious of having done wrong. But it is an instance of extreme wickedness that he insinuates that Christ is not free from blame, because witnesses speak against him. The question, What is it that those men testify against thee? amounts to this: “How comes it that those men oppose thee, but because they are urged by conscientious views? For they would not have appeared against thee without a good reason.” As if he did not know that those witnesses had been procured by fraud: but this is the way in which wicked men, when they find themselves in the possession of authority and power, throw off sham and indulge in arrogance. Christ was again silent, not only because the objection was frivolous, but because, having been appointed to be a sacrifice, he had thrown aside all anxiety about defending himself.

Calvin: Mat 26:63 - -- 63.I === adjure thee by the living God. The high priest thought that this alone was a crime sufficient to condemn Christ, if he professed that he wa...
63.I === adjure thee by the living God. The high priest thought that this alone was a crime sufficient to condemn Christ, if he professed that he was the Christ. But since they all boasted of expecting redemption from Christ, he ought first to have inquired if such was the fact. That there would be a Christ, by whose hands the people were to be delivered, they would not have ventured to deny. Jesus came publicly forward, bearing the title of the Christ. Why do they not consider the fact itself? Why do they not examine the signs, by means of which a correct decision might have been formed? But, having already determined to put Christ to death, they are satisfied with this pretense of sacrilege, that he claimed for himself the glory of Divinity. And yet Caiaphas examines the matter on oath, as if he had been prepared to yield as soon as it was fully ascertained; but all the while his whole mind is filled with a malicious hatred and contempt of Christ, and is so blinded by pride and ambition, that he takes for granted, that as soon as the fact has been ascertained, without inquiring whether it is right or wrong, he will have just grounds for condemning him.
===If thou art the Christ, the Son of God From the words of Caiaphas we may infer, that it was at that time common among the Jews to bestow on the Messiah the title of the Son of God; for this form of interrogation could not have originated in any other way than from the ordinary custom; and, indeed, they had learned from the predictions of Scripture that he was not less the Son of God than the Son of David. It appears, too, that Caiaphas employed this epithet, with the view either of terrifying Christ, or of exciting a prejudice against him; as if he had said, “See where you are going; for you cannot call yourself the Christ, without claiming, at the same time, the appellation of Son of God, with which Scripture honors him.” Such is also his reason for using the word Blessed, which Mark gives instead of God; for this pretended reverence 232 for God was intended to bring a heavier charge against Christ than that of profaning the holy name of God.

Calvin: Mat 26:64 - -- 64.Thou hast said it Luke inserts another reply, by which Christ reproves the malice of the priests, in not inquiring with a desire to know. If I te...
64.Thou hast said it Luke inserts another reply, by which Christ reproves the malice of the priests, in not inquiring with a desire to know. If I tell you, says he, you will not believe: by which words he means, that though he were to prove to them a hundred times that he was the Christ, it would be of no avail with obstinate men. For they had not only heard, but had beheld with their eyes miracles, which, though Christ had been silent, would have confirmed his heavenly and divine power, and would even have cried aloud, that he was the promised Redeemer.
He next adds a confession, which, though it is related in many words by Matthew, does not convey a different meaning. Jesus affirms that he is the Christ, not for the purpose of avoiding death, but rather of inflaming the rage of his enemies against him. Though at that time he was exposed to contempt, and almost annihilated, by his mean garb, he announces, that at the proper time he will at length come with royal majesty, that they may tremble before the Judge, whom they now refuse to acknowledge as the Author of salvation. The meaning therefore is, that they are widely mistaken, if from his present appearance they form a judgment of what he is; because it is necessary that he should be humbled, and almost reduced to nothing, before he appear adorned with the emblems of his royal power, and with magnificent splendor. For by this word hereafter he distinguishes between his first and second coming.
We may draw from this a useful doctrine, which is still more extensive. For how comes it that wicked men are so much at their ease? How comes it that they are so insolent in rebellion, but because they do not set a high value on the crucified Jesus? It is therefore necessary to remind them of a dreadful judgment, which, with all their stupidity, they will not be able to avoid. And though they ridicule as a fable what is said about the future coming of Christ, still it is not in vain that the Judge summons them to his tribunal and orders them to be summoned by the preaching of the Gospel, that they may be rendered the more inexcusable. But this announcement is fitted to be of very great use even to believers, that they may now with the eyes of hope look for Christ sitting at the right hand of the father, and patiently wait till he comes, and may likewise believe that the rage of wicked men against him, while absent, will not be without its consequences; for they will be compelled to behold him on high coming from heaven, whom now they not only despise, but even trample upon in their pride.
Sitting at the right hand of power The metaphor contained in the term right hand must be well known, for it frequently occurs in Scripture. Christ then sits at the right hand of the Father, because he is his deputy; and it is called the right hand or power, a, because it is only through the agency of his Son that God now displays his power, and will execute judgment at the last day.

Calvin: Mat 26:65 - -- 65.Then the high priest rent his garments By this we see how little advantage was derived by wicked men from the miracles by which Christ had proved ...
65.Then the high priest rent his garments By this we see how little advantage was derived by wicked men from the miracles by which Christ had proved his Divinity. But we need not wonder, that under the mean garb of a servant, the Son of God was despised by those who were unmoved by any anxiety about the promised salvation. For if they had not entirely laid aside every pious feeling, their deplorable condition ought to have led them to look anxiously for the Redeemer; but when they now, without making any inquiry, reject him when offered to them, do they not as far as lies in their power, destroy all the promises of God? The high priest first pronounces Christ to be a blasphemer, to which the others afterwards assent. The rending of the clothes plainly shows how boldly and wickedly those who profanely despise God make false pretensions of zeal. It would indeed have been praiseworthy in the high priest, if he heard the name of God shamefully profaned, not only to feel inward resentment and excruciating pain, but to make an open display of his detestation; but while he refused to make inquiry, he contrived an unfounded charge of blasphemy. And yet, this treacherous hypocrite, while he assumed a character which did not belong to him, taught the servants of God with what severity of displeasure they ought to regard blasphemies, and condemned by his example the shameful cowardice of those who are no more affected by an outrage on religion, than if they heard buffoons uttering their silly jokes.
Then they spat in his face Either Luke has inverted the order of the narrative, or our Lord twice endured this highly contemptuous treatment. The latter supposition appears to me to be probable. And yet, I have no doubt that the servants were emboldened to spit on Christ, and to strike him with greater insolence, after they had seen that the council, so far as their decision had influence, condemned him to death. The object of all these expressions of contempt was, to show that nothing was more unlikely than that he should be a prince of prophets, who, in consequence of being blindfolded, 233 was not able even to ward off blows. But this insolence was turned by the providence of God to a very different purpose; for the face of Christ, dishonored by spitting and blows, has restored to us that image which had been disfigured, and almost effaced, by sin.

Calvin: Mat 26:69 - -- Mat 26:69.A maid came to him Here we see that there is no necessity for a severe contest, or for many forces or implements of war, to overpower a man;...
Mat 26:69.A maid came to him Here we see that there is no necessity for a severe contest, or for many forces or implements of war, to overpower a man; for any man, who is not supported by the hand of God, will instantly fall by a slight gale or the rustling of a falling leaf. Peter undoubtedly was not less courageous than any of us, and he had already given no ordinary proof of his valor, though it was exercised in a rash and improper manner; and yet he does not wait until he is dragged before the tribunal of the high priest, or until his enemies attempt to put him to death by violence, but, terrified by a woman’s voice, immediately denies his Master. And yet but lately he thought himself a valiant soldier even to death. Let us therefore remember that our strength is so far from being sufficient to resist powerful attacks, that it will give way, when there is the mere shadow of a battle. But in this way God gives us the just reward of our treachery, when he disarms and strips us of all power, so that, when we have thrown off the fear of him, we tremble for a mere nothing. For if a deep fear of God had dwelt in Peter’s heart, it would have been an invincible fortress; but now, naked and defenseless, he trembles while he is still far from danger.

Calvin: Mat 26:70 - -- 70.But he denied before them all This circumstance aggravates the criminality of Peter, that, in denying his Master, he did not even dread a multitud...
70.But he denied before them all This circumstance aggravates the criminality of Peter, that, in denying his Master, he did not even dread a multitude of witnesses. 236 And the Spirit intended expressly to state this, that even the presence of men may excite us to hold fast the confession of faith. For if we deny Christ before the weak, they are shaken by our example, and give way; and thus we destroy as many souls as we can; but if, in presence of those who wickedly despise God and oppose the Gospel, we withhold from Christ the testimony which is due to him, we expose his sacred name to the ridicule of all. In short, as a bold and open confession edifies all the godly, 237 and puts unbelievers to shame, so apostasy draws along with it the public ruin of faith in the Church, and the reproach of sound doctrine. The more eminent a man is, therefore, he ought to be the more careful to be on his guard; for his elevation makes it impossible for him to fall from it without doing greater harm.
I know not what thou sayest The form of denial, which is here set down, shows sufficiently that the wretched sophists, who endeavor to escape by ambiguous expressions, which they turn to a. variety of meanings, when they are called to give an account of their faith, gain nothing by their dexterity in fraud. Peter does not absolutely deny the whole doctrine of the Gospel; he only denies that he knew the man; but, because in the person of Christ he indirectly buries the light of the promised redemption, he is charged with base and shameful treachery. But lately he had heard from the mouth of the Lord, that the confession of faith is a sacrifice acceptable to God; and therefore a mode of denying, which withholds from God his lawful worship, and from Christ the honor that is due to him, admits of no excuse. Let us therefore hold:, that as soon as we depart from a plain and candid profession of Christ, we deprive him of the testimony to which he has a lawful claim.

Calvin: Mat 26:71 - -- 71.Another maid saw him From the words of Mark we are rather led to conjecture that it was the same maid; at least he doesn’t state that it was a...
71.Another maid saw him From the words of Mark we are rather led to conjecture that it was the same maid; at least he doesn’t state that it was a different maid from the former one. But there is no contradiction here; for it is probable that the statement which proceeded from one maid, flew from the lips of one to those of another, so that the first maid pointed him out to many persons and at several times, and others joined her in asserting that he was the person, and in spreading the discovery of him more widely. John even relates (Joh 18:25) that, at the second time, the question was put to Peter, not by a maid, but by a multitude of men; from which it is evident that the word, which had been pronounced by the maid, was caught by the men standing by, who attacked Peter.
There is another difference between Mark and the other three Evangelists; for he mentions that the cock crew twice, while they say that the cock crew not until after Peter had thrice denied our Lord. But this difficulty is easily obviated; for Mark says nothing that is inconsistent with the narrative of the other Evangelists, but explains more fully what they pass by in silence. Indeed, I have no doubt that, when Christ said to Peter, before the cock crow, he meant the cock-crowing, 238 which includes many crowings; for cocks do not merely crow once, but repeat their crowings many times; and yet all the crowings of a single watch are called but one cock-crowing. So then, Matthew, Luke, and John, say that Peter thrice denied our Lord before the cock-crowing was ended. Mark states more distinctly one circumstance, that within a short space of time Peter was brought even to the third denial, and that, though he had been warned by the first crowing, he did not repent. None of us will say that profane historians are inconsistent with each other, when some one of them relates what the others have not touched; and, therefore, though Mark’s narrative is different, still it does not contradict the others.

Calvin: Mat 26:72 - -- 72.And the second time he denied with an oath It deserves attention, that Peter, after finding that he could not escape by a simple denial, doubles h...
72.And the second time he denied with an oath It deserves attention, that Peter, after finding that he could not escape by a simple denial, doubles his crime by adding an oath; and a little after, when he is still more vehemently pressed, he proceeds even to cursing. Hence we infer that a sinner, after having once fallen, is always hurried on from bad to worse; so that those who begin with ordinary offenses afterwards rush headlong into the basest crimes, from which at first they would have recoiled with horror. And this is the just vengeance of God, after we have deprived ourselves of the assistance of the Holy Spirit, to allow Satan a violent exercise of power over us, that, having subdued and made us his slaves, he may drive us wherever he pleases. But this happens chiefly in a denial of the faith; for when a man, through fear of the cross, has turned aside from a pure profession of the gospel, if he perceive that his enemies are not yet satisfied, will proceed farther, and what he had not ventured fully to acknowledge he denies flatly with an oath, and without any ambiguity of words.
We ought also to observe, that almost in a single moment Peter thrice gave way; for this shows how unsteady we are, and how liable to fall, whenever Satan drives us. Certainly we shall never cease to fall, if the Lord do not stretch out his hand to uphold us. When the rigor of the grace of Christ was extinguished in Peter, whoever might afterwards meet hit and interrogate him about Christ, he would have been ready to deny a hundred or a thousand times. Although, then, it was very base in him to fall thrice, yet the Lord spared him by restraining the tongues of enemies from making additional attacks upon him. Thus, also, it is every day necessary for the Lord to bridle Satan, lest he overwhelm us with innumerable temptations; for though he does not cease to employ many instruments in assailing us, were it not that the Lord, paying regard to our weakness, restrains the violence of his rage, we would have to contend against a prodigious amount of temptations. In this respect, therefore, we ought to praise the mercy of the Lord, who does not permit our enemy to make advances against us, almost the hundredth part of what he would desire.

Calvin: Mat 26:74 - -- 74.Then he began to curse and to swear In this third denial, Peter’s unfaithfulness to his Master reached its utmost height. Not satisfied with sw...
74.Then he began to curse and to swear In this third denial, Peter’s unfaithfulness to his Master reached its utmost height. Not satisfied with swearing, he breaks out into cursing, by which he abandons his body and soul to destruction; for he prays that the curse of God may fall upon him, if he knows Christ. It is as much as if he had said, May I perish miserably, if I have any thing in common with the salvation of God! So much the more ought we to admire the goodness of Christ, who rescued his disciple from such fatal ruin, and healed him. Now this passage shows, that when a man falling through weakness of the flesh, denies the truth though he knows it, this does not amount to “blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” (Mat 12:31.) Peter had unquestionably heard from the mouth of the Lord how detestable treachery it is to deny him before men; and what dreadful vengeance, before God and before his angels, (Mat 10:39 Luk 12:9) awaits those who, through a cowardly dread of the cross, abandon the confession of faith; and not without reason had he, a little before, preferred death and every kind of torment to denying Christ. Now, therefore, he throws himself down knowingly, and after previous warning; but afterwards he obtains pardon; from which it follows that he sinned through weakness and not through incurable malice. For he would willingly have rendered to Christ the duties of friendship which he owed him, had not fear extinguished the sparks of proper affection.

Calvin: Mat 26:75 - -- 75.And Peter remembered the word of Jesus To the voice of the cock, Luke informs us, there was also added the look of Christ; for previously — ...
75.And Peter remembered the word of Jesus To the voice of the cock, Luke informs us, there was also added the look of Christ; for previously — as we learn from Mark — he had paid no attention to the cock when crowing. He must, therefore, have received the look from Christ, in order that he might come to himself. We all have experience of the same thing in ourselves; for which of us does not pass by with indifference and with deaf ears — I do not say the varied and numerous songs of birds which however, excite us to glorify God — but even the voice of God, which is heard clearly and distinctly in the doctrine of the Law and of the Gospel? Nor is it for a single day only that our minds are held by such brutal stupidity, but it is perpetual until he who alone turns the hearts of men deigns to look upon us. It is proper to observe, however that this was no ordinary look, for he had formerly looked at Judas who, after all, became no better by it. But in looking at Peter, he added to his eyes the secret efficacy of the Spirit, and thus by the rays of his grace, penetrated into his heart. Let us therefore know, that whenever any one has fallen, his repentance will never begin, until the Lord has looked at him.
And he went out and wept bitterly It is probable that Peter went out through fear, for he did not venture to weep in presence of witnesses; and here he gave another proof of his weakness. Hence we infer that he did not deserve pardon by satisfaction, but that he obtained it by the fatherly kindness of God. And by this example we are taught that we ought to entertain confident hope, though our repentance be lame; for God does not despise even weak repentance, provided that it be sincere. Yet Peter’s tears, which he shed in secret, testified before God and the angels that his repentance was true; for, having withdrawn from the eyes of men, he places before him God and the angels; and, therefore, those tears flow from the deep feelings of his heart. This deserves our attention; for we see many who shed tears purposely, so long as they are beheld by others, but who have no sooner retired than they have dry eyes. Now there is no room to doubt that tears, which do not flow on account of the judgment of God, are often drawn forth by ambition and hypocrisy.
But it may be asked, Is weeping requisite in true repentance? I reply, Believers often with dry eyes groan before the Lord without hypocrisy, and confess their fault to obtain pardon; but in more aggravated offenses they must be in no ordinary degree stupid and hardened, whose hearts are not pained by grief and sorrow, and who do not feel ashamed even so far as to shed tears. And, therefore Scripture, after having convicted men of their crimes, exhorts them to sackcloth and ashes, (Dan 9:3; Jon 3:6; Mat 11:21.)
Defender: Mat 26:57 - -- Caiaphas' father-in-law was Annas (Joh 18:13). Act 4:6 and Luk 3:2 support the fact that both were high priests. This position of high priest had beco...
Caiaphas' father-in-law was Annas (Joh 18:13). Act 4:6 and Luk 3:2 support the fact that both were high priests. This position of high priest had become a political position. Annas had been deposed by Rome, with Caiaphas appointed in his place, but Annas still managed to exercise much of the power of the position. It is sad that both were Sadducees, rejecting the supernatural, and wanting the prestigious position for political and financial reasons only. They were intensely hostile to Jesus for these reasons, rather than for their manufactured charge of blasphemy against God."

Defender: Mat 26:61 - -- This was a distortion of Jesus' words in Joh 2:19, but it was the best evidence the illegally assembled kangaroo court of Caiaphas could produce in th...
This was a distortion of Jesus' words in Joh 2:19, but it was the best evidence the illegally assembled kangaroo court of Caiaphas could produce in this infamous travesty of a trial."

Defender: Mat 26:63 - -- "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Isa 53:7)."
"As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Isa 53:7)."

Defender: Mat 26:64 - -- Caiaphas had no legal right to ask this question, but Jesus answered it anyway. When asked if He were the Messiah and the Son of God, He said yes. How...
Caiaphas had no legal right to ask this question, but Jesus answered it anyway. When asked if He were the Messiah and the Son of God, He said yes. However, He persisted in calling Himself the Son of Man."

Defender: Mat 26:67 - -- The buffeting consisted of the judges all encircling Him and then striking Him with their fists, one after the other. But they were all the while fulf...

Defender: Mat 26:70 - -- Yet this same Peter, only a few hours before, had said: "If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise" (Mar 14:31). We need to be caref...
Yet this same Peter, only a few hours before, had said: "If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise" (Mar 14:31). We need to be careful before boasting of what we intend to do spiritually."
TSK: Mat 26:57 - -- Psa 56:5, Psa 56:6; Mar 14:53, Mar 14:54; Luk 22:54, Luk 22:55; Joh 11:49, Joh 18:12-14, Joh 18:24


TSK: Mat 26:59 - -- sought : Deu 19:16-21; 1Ki 21:8-13; Psa 27:12, Psa 35:11, Psa 35:12, Psa 94:20,Psa 94:21; Pro 25:18; Mar 14:55, Mar 14:56; Act 6:11-13, Act 24:1-13
sought : Deu 19:16-21; 1Ki 21:8-13; Psa 27:12, Psa 35:11, Psa 35:12, Psa 94:20,Psa 94:21; Pro 25:18; Mar 14:55, Mar 14:56; Act 6:11-13, Act 24:1-13


TSK: Mat 26:61 - -- This : Mat 26:71, Mat 12:24; Gen 19:9; 1Ki 22:27; 2Ki 9:11; Psa 22:6, Psa 22:7; Isa 49:7, Isa 53:3; Luk 23:2; Joh 9:29; Act 17:18, Act 18:13, Act 22:2...
This : Mat 26:71, Mat 12:24; Gen 19:9; 1Ki 22:27; 2Ki 9:11; Psa 22:6, Psa 22:7; Isa 49:7, Isa 53:3; Luk 23:2; Joh 9:29; Act 17:18, Act 18:13, Act 22:22
I am : The words of our Lord were widely different from this statement of them; so that the testimony of these witnesses was false, though it had the semblance of truth. Mat 27:40; Jer 26:8-11, Jer 26:16-19; Mar 15:29; Joh 2:19-21; Act 6:13

TSK: Mat 26:63 - -- Jesus : Psa 38:12-14; Isa 53:7; Dan 3:16; Act 8:32-35; 1Pe 2:23
I adjure : Lev 5:1; Num 5:19-21; 1Sa 14:24, 1Sa 14:26, 1Sa 14:28; 1Ki 22:16; 2Ch 18:15...
Jesus : Psa 38:12-14; Isa 53:7; Dan 3:16; Act 8:32-35; 1Pe 2:23
I adjure : Lev 5:1; Num 5:19-21; 1Sa 14:24, 1Sa 14:26, 1Sa 14:28; 1Ki 22:16; 2Ch 18:15; Pro 29:24
that : Mar 14:61; Luk 22:66-71; Joh 8:25, Joh 10:24, Joh 18:37
the Christ : Mat 16:16, Mat 27:40,Mat 27:43, Mat 27:54; Psa 2:6, Psa 2:7; Isa 9:6, Isa 9:7; Joh 1:34, Joh 1:49, Joh 3:16-18; Joh 5:18-25, Joh 6:69, Joh 10:30,Joh 10:36, Joh 19:7, Joh 20:31; 1Jo 5:11-13

TSK: Mat 26:64 - -- Thou : Mat 26:25, Mat 27:11; Mar 14:62; Luk 22:70; Joh 18:37
Hereafter : Mat 16:27, Mat 24:30, Mat 25:31; Dan 7:13; Luk 21:27; Joh 1:50,Joh 1:51; Act ...

TSK: Mat 26:65 - -- the high priest : Lev 21:20; 2Ki 18:37, 2Ki 19:1-3; Jer 36:24; Mar 14:63, Mar 14:64
He : Mat 9:3; 1Ki 21:10-13; Luk 5:21; Joh 10:33, Joh 10:36


TSK: Mat 26:67 - -- did : Mat 27:30; Num 12:14; Deu 25:9; Job 30:9-11; Isa 50:6, Isa 52:14, Isa 53:3; Mar 14:65, Mar 15:19; 1Co 4:13; Heb 12:2
buffeted him : Εκολα...
did : Mat 27:30; Num 12:14; Deu 25:9; Job 30:9-11; Isa 50:6, Isa 52:14, Isa 53:3; Mar 14:65, Mar 15:19; 1Co 4:13; Heb 12:2
buffeted him :
and others : Mat 5:39; 1Ki 22:24; Jer 20:2; Lam 3:30,Lam 3:45; Luk 22:63; Joh 18:22, Joh 19:3; Act 23:2, Act 23:3; 2Co 11:20,2Co 11:21
smote him :
the palms of their hands : or, rods, Mic 5:1

TSK: Mat 26:68 - -- Prophesy : Mat 27:39-44; Gen 37:19, Gen 37:20; Jdg 16:25; Mar 14:65; Luk 22:63-65
thou : Mat 27:28, Mat 27:29; Mar 15:18, Mar 15:19; Joh 19:2, Joh 19:...

TSK: Mat 26:69 - -- Peter : Mat 26:58; 1Ki 19:9, 1Ki 19:13; Psa 1:1; Mar 14:66-68; Luk 22:55-57; Joh 18:16, Joh 18:17, Joh 18:25; 2Pe 2:7-9
Jesus : Mat 26:71, Mat 2:22, M...

TSK: Mat 26:70 - -- Mat 26:34, Mat 26:35, Mat 26:40-43, Mat 26:51, Mat 26:56, Mat 26:58; Psa 119:115-117; Pro 28:26, Pro 29:23, Pro 29:25; Isa 57:11; Jer 17:9; Rom 11:20;...

TSK: Mat 26:72 - -- with : Mat 5:34-36; Exo 20:7; Isa 48:1; Zec 5:3, Zec 5:4, Zec 8:17; Mal 3:5; Act 5:3, Act 5:4
I do not : Mat 26:74; Luk 22:34


TSK: Mat 26:74 - -- began : Mat 27:25; Jdg 17:2, Jdg 21:18; 1Sa 14:24-28; Mar 14:71; Act 23:12-14; Rom 9:3; 1Co 16:22
saying : Mat 10:28, Mat 10:32, Mat 10:33; Joh 21:15-...

TSK: Mat 26:75 - -- remembered : Mat 26:34; Luk 22:61, Luk 22:62; Joh 13:38
And he : Mat 27:3-5; Luk 22:31-34; Rom 7:18-20; 1Co 4:7; Gal 6:1; 1Pe 1:5
remembered : Mat 26:34; Luk 22:61, Luk 22:62; Joh 13:38
And he : Mat 27:3-5; Luk 22:31-34; Rom 7:18-20; 1Co 4:7; Gal 6:1; 1Pe 1:5

collapse allCommentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)
Barnes: Mat 26:47-57 - -- The account of Jesus’ being betrayed by Judas is recorded by all the evangelists. See Mar 14:43-52; Luk 22:47-53; Joh 18:2-12. Mat 26:47 ...
The account of Jesus’ being betrayed by Judas is recorded by all the evangelists. See Mar 14:43-52; Luk 22:47-53; Joh 18:2-12.
Judas, one of the twelve, came - This was done while Jesus was addressing his disciples.
John informs us that Judas knew the place, because Jesus was in the habit of going there with his disciples. Judas had passed the time, after he left Jesus and the other disciples at the Passover, in arranging matters with the Jews, collecting the band, and preparing to go. Perhaps, also, on this occasion they gave him the money which they had promised.
A great multitude with swords and staves - John says that he had received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees."Josephus says (Antiq. b. 20 chapter iv.) that at the festival of the Passover, when a great multitude of people came to observe the feast, lest there should be any disorder, a band of men was commanded to keep watch at the porches of the temple, to repress a tumult if any should be excited. This band, or guard, was at the disposal of the chief priests, Mat 27:65. It was composed of Roman soldiers, and was stationed chiefly at the tower of Antonia, at the northwest side of the temple. In addition to this, they had constant guards stationed around the temple, composed of Levites. The Roman soldiers were armed with "swords."The other persons that went out carried, probably, whatever was accessible as a weapon. These were the persons sent by the priests to apprehend Jesus. Perhaps other desperate men might have joined them.
Staves - In the original, "wood;"used here in the plural number. It means rather "clubs"or "sticks"than spears. It does not mean "staves."Probably it means any weapon at hand, such as a mob could conveniently collect. John says that they had "lanterns and torches."The Passover was celebrated at the "full moon;"but this night might have been cloudy. The place to which they were going was also shaded with trees, and lights, therefore, might be necessary.
Gave them a sign - That is, told them of a way by which they might know whom to apprehend - to wit, by his kissing him.
It was night. Jesus was, besides, probably personally unknown to the "Romans"- perhaps to the others also. Judas, therefore, being well acquainted with him, to prevent the possibility of mistake, agreed to designate him by one of the tokens of friendship.
John tells us that Jesus, knowing all things that should come upon him, when they approached him, asked them whom they sought, and that they replied, Jesus of Nazareth. He then informed them that he was the person they sought. They, when they heard it, overawed by his presence and smitten with the consciousness of guilt, went backward and fell to the ground. He again asked them whom they sought. They made the same declaration - Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus then, since they professed to seek only Him, claimed the right that his disciples should be suffered to escape, "that the saying might be fulfilled which he spake Joh 18:9; Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none."
Hail, Master - The word translated "hail,"here, means to "rejoice,"to have joy, and also to have "cause"of joy.
It thus expresses the "joy"which one friend has when he meets another, especially after an absence. It was used by the Jews and Greeks as a mode of salutation among friends. It would here seem to express the "joy"of Judas at finding his Master and again being "with him."
Master - In the original, "Rabbi."See the notes at Mat 23:7.
Kissed him - Gave him the common salutation of friends when meeting after absence. This mode of salutation was more common among Eastern nations than with us.
And Jesus said unto him, Friend - It seems strange to us that Jesus should give the endeared name "friend"to a man that he knew was his enemy, and that was about to betray him.
It should be remarked, however, that this is the fault of our language, not of the original. In the Greek there are two words which our translators have rendered "friend"- one implying "affection and regard,"the other not. One is properly rendered "friend;"the other expresses more nearly what we mean by "companion."It is this "latter"word which is given to the disaffected laborer in the vineyard: "‘ Friend,’ I do thee no wrong"Mat 20:13; to the guest which had not on the wedding-garment, in the parable of the marriage feast Mat 22:12; and to "Judas"in this place.
Wherefore art thou come? - This was said, not because he was ignorant why he had come, but probably to fill the mind of Judas with the consciousness of his crime, and by a striking question to compel him to think of what he was doing.
One of them which were with Jesus - John informs us that this was Peter.
The other evangelists concealed the name, probably because they wrote while Peter was living, and it might have endangered Peter to have it known.
And drew his sword - The apostles were not commonly armed. On this occasion they had provided "two swords,"Luk 22:38. In seasons of danger, when traveling, they were under a necessity of providing means of defending themselves against the robbers that infested the country. This will account for their having any swords in their possession. See the notes at Luk 10:30. Josephus informs us that the people were accustomed to carry swords under their garments as they went up to Jerusalem.
A servant of the high-priest - His name, John informs us, was "Malchus."Luke adds that Jesus touched the ear and healed it, thus showing his benevolence to his foes when they sought his life, and giving them proof that they were attacking him that was sent from heaven.
Thy sword into his place - Into the sheath.
For all they that take the sword ... - This passage is capable of different significations.
1. They who resist by the sword the civil magistrate shall be punished; and it is dangerous, therefore, to oppose those who come with the authority of the civil ruler.
2. These men, Jews and Romans, who have taken the sword against the innocent, shall perish by the sword. God will take vengeance on them.
3. However, the most satisfactory interpretation is that which regards it as a caution to Peter. Peter was rash. Alone he had attacked the whole band. Jesus told him that his unseasonable and imprudent defense might be the occasion of his own destruction. In doing it he would endanger his life, for they who took the sword perished by it. This was probably a proverb, denoting that they who engaged in wars commonly perished there.
Thinkest thou ... - Jesus says that not only would Peter endanger himself, but his resistance implied a distrust of the protection of God, and was an improper resistance of his will.
If it had been proper that they should be rescued, God could easily have furnished far more efficient aid than that of Peter - a mighty host of angels.
Twelve legions - A legion was a division of the Roman army amounting to more than 6,000 men. See the notes at Mat 8:29. The number "twelve"was mentioned, perhaps, in reference to the number of his apostles and himself. Judas being away, but eleven disciples remained. God could guard him, and each disciple, with a legion of angels: that is, God could easily protect him, if he should pray to him, and if it was his will.
But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled ... - That is, the Scriptures which foretold of his dying for the world.
In some way that must be accomplished, and the time had come when, having finished the work which the Father gave him to do, it was proper that he should submit to death. This was said, doubtless, to comfort his disciples; to show them that his death was not a matter of surprise or disappointment to him; and that they, therefore, should not be offended and forsake him.
Against a thief - Rather a "robber."This was the manner in which they would have sought to take a highwayman of desperate character, and armed to defend his life.
It adds not a little to the depth of his humiliation that he consented to be "hunted down"thus by wicked people, and to be treated as if he had been the worst of mankind.
Daily with you teaching in the temple - For many days before the Passover, as recorded in the previous chapter.
Scriptures of the prophets - The "writings"of the prophets, for that is the meaning of the word "scriptures."He alludes to those parts of the prophetic writings which foretold his sufferings and death.
Then all the disciples ... - Overcome with fear when they saw their Master actually taken; alarmed with the terrific appearance of armed men and torches in a dark night, and forgetting their promises not to forsake him, they all left their Saviour to go alone to trial and to death! Alas, how many, when attachment to Christ would lead them to danger, leave him and flee! Mark adds that after the disciples had fled, a young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body, attempted to follow him. It is not known who he was, but not improbably he may have been the owner of the garden and a friend of Jesus. Aroused by the noise from his repose, he came to defend, or at least to follow the Saviour. He cast, in his hurry, such a covering as was at hand around his body, and came to him. The young men among the Romans and Jews attempted to seize him also, and he only secured his safety by leaving in their hands the covering that he had hastily thrown around him. It is not known why this circumstance was recorded by Mark, but it would seem to be probable that it was to mention him with honor, as showing his interest in the Saviour, and his willingness to aid him. See the notes at Mar 14:50-51. This circumstance may have been recorded for the purpose of honoring him by placing his conduct in strong contrast with that of the apostles, who had all forsaken the Saviour and fled.
The trial of our Lord before the council, and the denial of Peter happening at the same time, might be related one before the other, according to the evangelists’ pleasure.
Accordingly, Matthew and Mark relate the "trial"first, and Peter’ s denial afterward; Luke mentions the denial first, and John has probably observed the natural order. The parallel places are recorded in Mark 14:53-72; Luke 22:54-71; and Joh 18:13-27.
To Caiaphas - John says that they led him first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas. This was done, probably as a mark of respect, he having been high priest, and perhaps distinguished for prudence, and capable of "advising"his son-in-law in a difficult case. The Saviour was "detained"there. probably, until the chief priests and elders were assembled.
The high priest - Note, Mat 26:3. John says he was high priest for that year. Annas had been high priest some years before. In the time of our Saviour the office was frequently changed by the civil ruler. This Caiaphas had prophesied that it was expedient that one should die for the people. See the notes at Joh 11:49-50.
The scribes and elders - The men composing the great council of the nation, or Sanhedrin, Mat 5:22. It is not probable that they could be immediately assembled, and some part of the transaction respecting the denial of Peter probably took place while they were collecting.

Barnes: Mat 26:58 - -- Peter followed afar off - By this he evinced two things: 1. Real attachment to his Master; a desire to be near him and to wi...
Peter followed afar off - By this he evinced two things:
1. Real attachment to his Master; a desire to be near him and to witness his trial.
2. Fear respecting his personal safety. He therefore kept so far off as to be out of danger, and yet so near as that he might witness the transactions respecting his Master.
Perhaps he expected to be lost and unobserved in the crowd. Many, in this, imitate Peter. They are afraid to follow the Saviour closely. They fear danger, ridicule, or persecution. They "follow him,"but it is at a great distance - so far that it is difficult to discern that they are in the train, and are his friends at all. Religion requires us to be near to Christ. We may measure our piety by our desire to be with him, to be like him, and by our willingness to follow him always - through trials, contempt, persecution, and death. Compare the notes at Phi 3:10. John says that another disciple went with Peter. By that other disciple it is commonly supposed, as he did not mention his name, that he meant himself. He was acquainted with the high priest, and went immediately into the hall.
Unto the high priest’ s palace - The word rendered "palace"means, rather, the hall, or middle court, or "area"of his house. It was situated in the center of the palace, and was commonly uncovered. See the notes and plan of a house in Mat 9:1-8.
And went in - John informs us that he did not go immediately in; but the ether disciple, being known to the high priest, went in first, while Peter remained at the gate or entrance. The other disciple then went out and brought in Peter. Matthew, Mark, and Luke have omitted this circumstance. John recorded it, probably, because they had omitted it, and because he was the "other disciple"concerned in it.
Sat with the servants to see the end - That is, the end of the trial, or to see how it would go with his Master. The other evangelists say that he stood with the servants warming himself. John says, it being cold, they had made a fire of coals and warmed themselves. It was then, probably, not far from midnight. The place where they were was uncovered; and travelers say that, though the "days"are warm in Judea at that season of the year, yet that the nights are often uncomfortably cold. This fire was made "in the hall"(Luke). The fire was not in a "fireplace,"as we commonly suppose, but was probably made of "coals"laid on the pavement. At this place and time was Peter’ s first "denial"of his Lord, as is recorded afterward. See Mat 26:69.

Barnes: Mat 26:59 - -- False witness - That is, they sought for witnesses who would accuse him of crime of violation of the laws of the land or of God. We are not to ...
False witness - That is, they sought for witnesses who would accuse him of crime of violation of the laws of the land or of God. We are not to suppose that "they wished"them to be "false"witnesses. They were indifferent, probably, whether they were true or false, if they could succeed in condemning him. "The evangelist"calls it false testimony. Before these witnesses were sought, we learn from John Joh 18:19-23 that the high priest asked Jesus of his disciples and his doctrine. Jesus replied that he had taught openly in the temple, and in secret had said nothing; that is, he had no "secret doctrines"which he had not been willing openly to teach, and he referred the high priest to those who had heard him. In a firm, dignified manner he put himself on trial, and insisted on his rights. "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil: but if well, why smitest thou me?"Joh 18:23. This conversation took place, probably, before the council was assembled, and during this time the denials by Peter occurred. Luke informs us Luk 22:66 that the council came together as soon as it was day; that is, probably, near the morning, or not far from the break of day - after Peter had denied him and gone out.

Barnes: Mat 26:60 - -- Found none - That is, they found none on whose testimony they could with any show of reason convict him. The reason was, as Mark says Mar 14:56...
Found none - That is, they found none on whose testimony they could with any show of reason convict him. The reason was, as Mark says Mar 14:56, that "their witnesses agreed not together."They differed about facts, times, and circumstances, as all false witnesses do. Two witnesses were required by their law, and they did not "dare"to condemn him without conforming, "in appearance"at least, to the requirements of the law.

Barnes: Mat 26:61 - -- And said, This fellow said ... - Mark has recorded this testimony differently. According to him, they said, "We heard him say, I will destroy t...
And said, This fellow said ... - Mark has recorded this testimony differently. According to him, they said, "We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another. made without hands."Probably both forms of giving in the testimony were used on the trial, and Matthew has recorded it as it was given at one time and Mark at another, so that there is no contradiction. Mark adds, "But neither so did their witnesses agree together."That which they "attempted"to accuse him of is what he had said respecting his body and their destroying it, Joh 2:19; "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."This he spoke of his body; they perverted it, endeavoring to show that he meant the temple at Jerusalem. They neither stated it as it was, nor did they state correctly its meaning, nor did they agree about the words used. It was therefore very little to their purpose.

Barnes: Mat 26:62-63 - -- Jesus held his peace - Was silent. He knew that the evidence did not even appear to amount to anything worth a reply. He knew that they were aw...
Jesus held his peace - Was silent. He knew that the evidence did not even appear to amount to anything worth a reply. He knew that they were aware of that, and that feeling that, the high priest attempted to draw something from him on which they could condemn him.
I adjure thee by the living God - I put thee upon thy oath before God. This was the usual form of putting an oath among the Jews. It implies calling God to witness the truth of what was said. The law respecting witnesses also made it a violation of an oath to conceal any part of the truth; and though our Saviour might have felt that such a question, put in such a manner, was very improper or was unlawful, yet he also knew that to be silent would be construed into a denial of his being the Christ. The question was probably put in auger. They had utterly failed in their proof. They had no way left to accomplish their purpose of condemning him but to draw it from his own lips. This cunning question was therefore proposed. The difficulty of the question consisted in this: If he confessed that he was the Son of God, they stood ready to condemn him for "blasphemy;"if he denied it, they were prepared to condemn him for being an impostor, and for deluding the people under the pretence of being the Messiah.
The living God - Yahweh is called the living God in opposition to idols, which were without life.
The Christ - The Messiah, the Anointed. See the notes at Mat 1:1.
The Son of God - The Jews uniformly expected that the Messiah would be the Son of God. In their view it denoted, also, that he would be "divine,"or equal to the Father, Joh 10:31-36. To claim that title was therefore, in their view, "blasphemy;"and as they had determined beforehand in their own minds that he was not the Messiah, they were ready at once to accuse him of blasphemy.

Barnes: Mat 26:64 - -- Thou hast said - This is a form of assenting or affirming. Thou hast said the truth; or, as Luke Luk 22:70 has it, "Ye say that I am."This was ...
Thou hast said - This is a form of assenting or affirming. Thou hast said the truth; or, as Luke Luk 22:70 has it, "Ye say that I am."This was not, however, said "immediately."Before Jesus acknowledged himself to be the Messiah, he said to them Luk 22:67-68, "If I tell you ye will not believe, and if I also ask you"- that is, propose the proofs of my mission, and require you to give your opinion of them "ye will not answer me, nor let me go."
Nevertheless - This word should have been translated: "moreover or furthermore."What follows is designed to explain and give confirmation to what he had said.
Sitting on the right hand of power - That is, of God, called here the Power - equivalent to "the Mighty, or the Almighty."It denotes dignity and majesty; for to sit at the right hand of a prince was the chief place of honor. See the notes at Mat 20:21.
Coming in the clouds of heaven - See the notes at Matt. 24; 25. The meaning of this is, You shall see "the sign from heaven"which you have so often demanded; even the Messiah returning himself "as the sign,"with great glory, to destroy your city and to judge the world.

Barnes: Mat 26:65 - -- Then the high priest rent his clothes - The Jews were accustomed to rend their clothes as a token of grief. This was done often as a matter of ...
Then the high priest rent his clothes - The Jews were accustomed to rend their clothes as a token of grief. This was done often as a matter of form, and consisted in tearing a particular part of the garment reserved for this purpose. It was not lawful for the high priest to rip his clothes, Lev 10:6; Lev 21:10. By that was probably intended the robes of his priestly office. The garment which he now tore was probably his ordinary garment, or the garments which he wore as president of the Sanhedrin - not those in which he officiated as high priest in the things of religion. This was done on this occasion to denote the great grief of the high priest that so great a sin as blasphemy had been committed in his presence.
He hath spoken blasphemy - That is, he has, under oath, arrogated to himself what belongs to God. In asserting that he is the Son of God, and therefore equal in dignity with the Father, and that he would yet sit at his right hand, he has claimed what belongs to no man, and what is therefore an invasion of the divine prerogative. If he had not been the Messiah, the charge would have been true; but the question was whether he had not given evidence that he was the Messiah, and that therefore his claims were just. This point - the only proper point of inquiry - they never examined. They assumed that he was an impostor, and that point being assumed, everything like a pretension to being the Messiah was, in their view, proof that he deserved to die.

Barnes: Mat 26:66 - -- What think ye? - What is your opinion? What sentence do you pronounce? As President of the Sanhedrin he demanded their judgment. He is gui...
What think ye? - What is your opinion? What sentence do you pronounce? As President of the Sanhedrin he demanded their judgment.
He is guilty of death - This was the form which was used when a criminal was condemned to die. The meaning is, he is guilty of a crime to which the law annexes death. This sentence was used before the Jews became subject to the Romans, when they had the power of inflicting death. After they were subject to the Romans, though the power of inflicting capital punishment"was taken away, yet they retained the form when they expressed their opinion of the guilt of an offender. The law under which they condemned him was that recorded in Lev 24:10-16, which sentenced him that was guilty of blasphemy to death by stoning. The chief priests, however, were unwilling to excite a popular tumult by stoning him, and they therefore consulted to deliver him to the Romans to be crucified, "under the authority of the Roman name,"and thus to prevent any excitement among the people.

Barnes: Mat 26:67 - -- Then did they spit in his face - This, among the Jews, as among us, was significant of the highest contempt and insult, Num 12:14; Isa 50:6; Jo...
Then did they spit in his face - This, among the Jews, as among us, was significant of the highest contempt and insult, Num 12:14; Isa 50:6; Job 30:10.
And buffeted him - That is, they struck him with their hands closed, or with the fist.
Others smote him with the palms of their hands - The word used in the original here means literally to strike with rods. It also means to strike the mouth with the open hand, as if to prevent a person’ s speaking, or to evince abhorrence of what he had spoken.

Barnes: Mat 26:68 - -- Saying, Prophesy unto us ... - Mark informs us that before they said this they had blindfolded him. Having prevented his seeing, they ridiculed...
Saying, Prophesy unto us ... - Mark informs us that before they said this they had blindfolded him. Having prevented his seeing, they ridiculed his pretensions of being the Messiah. If he Was the Christ, they supposed he could tell who smote him As he bore it patiently and did not answer, they doubtless supposed that they had discovered another reason to think he was an impostor. The word "prophesy"does not mean only to foretell future events, although that is the proper meaning of the word, but also to declare anything that is unknown, or anything which cannot be known by natural knowledge or without revelation. Luke adds, "And many other things blasphemously spoke they against him."There is something very remarkable in this expression. They had charged Him with "blasphemy"in claiming to be the Son of God. This charge they were not able to prove; but the evangelist fixes the charge of "blasphemy"on them, because he really was the Son of God, and they denied it.

Barnes: Mat 26:69 - -- Now Peter sat without in the palace - Mark says the first denial took place while Peter was "beneath in the palace."This "palace"was the large ...
Now Peter sat without in the palace - Mark says the first denial took place while Peter was "beneath in the palace."This "palace"was the large hall or court belonging to the residence of the high priest. The part of it where Jesus and the council were was "elevated,"probably above the rest for a tribunal. Peter was "beneath or in the "lower part"of the hall, with the servants at the fire. Yet, as Matthew says, he sat without in the palace - that is, out of the palace where they were trying Jesus - to wit, in the lower part of the hall with the servants: both narratives are therefore consistent.
And a damsel came unto him - John Joh 18:17 says that this damsel was one that kept the door.
Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee - Probably she suspected him from his being in company with John. This was in the early part of the trial of Jesus.

Barnes: Mat 26:70 - -- But he deeded before them all ... - He denied that he was a disciple; he denied that he knew Jesus; he denied (Mark) that he understood what wa...
But he deeded before them all ... - He denied that he was a disciple; he denied that he knew Jesus; he denied (Mark) that he understood what was meant - that is, he did not see any reason why this question was asked. All this was palpable falsehood, and Peter must have known that it was such. This is remarkable, because Peter had just before been so confident. It is more remarkable, because the edge of the charge was taken off by the insinuation that "John"was known to be a disciple thou "also"wast with Jesus of Galilee.

Barnes: Mat 26:71 - -- When he was gone out into the porch - The "entrance,"or the small apartment between the outer door and the large hall in the center of the buil...
When he was gone out into the porch - The "entrance,"or the small apartment between the outer door and the large hall in the center of the building. See plan of a house, Notes, Mat 9:1-8. Peter was embarrassed and confused by the question, and to save his confusion from attracting notice, he went away from the fire into the porch, where he expected to be unobserved - yet in vain. By the very movement to avoid detection, he came into contact with another who knew him and repeated the charge. How clearly does it prove that our Lord was omniscient, that all these things were foreseen!
Another maid saw him - Mark simply says that "a maid"saw him. From Luke it would appear that "a man"spoke to him, Luk 22:58. The truth probably is that both were done. When he first went out, "a maid"charged him with being a follower of Jesus. He was probably there a considerable time. To this charge he might have been silent, thinking, perhaps, that he was concealed, and there was no need of denying Jesus then. Yet it is very likely that the charge would be repeated. A "man,"also, might have repeated it; and Peter, irritated, provoked, perhaps thinking that he was in danger, "then"denied his Master the second time. This denial was in a stronger manner and with an oath. While in the porch, Mark says, the cock crew - that is, the first crowing, or not far from midnight.

Barnes: Mat 26:73 - -- And after a while - That is, about an hour after (Luke). Peter by this time had returned into the palace or hall, and stood warming himself by ...
And after a while - That is, about an hour after (Luke). Peter by this time had returned into the palace or hall, and stood warming himself by the fire, Joh 18:25.
Thy speech bewrayeth thee - Your language makes it manifest that you are of his company. That is, as Mark adds, he was a "Galilean,"and in this way his speech betrayed him. It is probable that the Galileans were distinguished for some peculiarity of pronunciation, perhaps some unique rusticity or coarseness in their manner of speaking, that distinguished them from the refinement of the capital, Jerusalem. This charge, John says Joh 18:26, was supported by the express affirmation of a kinsman of Malchus, the servant of the high priest, that he had seen him in the garden.

Barnes: Mat 26:74 - -- Then began he to curse ... - Peter was now irritated beyond endurance. He could no longer resist the evidence that he was known. It had been re...
Then began he to curse ... - Peter was now irritated beyond endurance. He could no longer resist the evidence that he was known. It had been repeatedly charged on him. His language had betrayed him, and there was a positive witness who had seen him. He felt it necessary, therefore, to be still more decided, and he accordingly added to the sin of denying his Lord the deep aggravation of profane cursing and swearing, affirming what he must have known was false, that he knew not the man. Immediately then the cock crew - that is, the second crowing, or not far from three in the morning.

Barnes: Mat 26:75 - -- And Peter remembered the word of Jesus ... - Luke has mentioned a beautiful and touching circumstance omitted by the other evangelists, that wh...
And Peter remembered the word of Jesus ... - Luke has mentioned a beautiful and touching circumstance omitted by the other evangelists, that when the cock crew, "Jesus turned and looked upon Peter,"and that then he remembered his words. They were in the same room - Jesus at the upper end of the hall, elevated for a tribunal and Peter below with the servants, so that Jesus could look down upon Peter standing near the fire. By a tender and compassionate look - a single glance of his eye the injured Saviour brought to remembrance all Peter’ s promises, his own predictions, and the great guilt of the disciple; he overwhelmed him with the remembrance of his sin, and pierced his heart through with many sorrows. The consciousness of deep and awful guilt rushed over Peter’ s soul; he flew from the palace, he went where he might be alone in the darkness of the night, and "wept bitterly."
The fall of Peter is one of the most melancholy instances of depravity ever committed in our world. But a little while before so confident; seated at the table of the Lord; distinguished throughout the ministry of Christ with special favors; cautioned against this very thing; yet so soon denying him, forgetting his promises, and profanely calling on God to witness what he knew to be false - that he did not know him! Had it been only once, it would have been awful guilt - guilt deeply piercing the Redeemer’ s soul in the day of trial; but it was three times repeated, and at last with profane cursing and swearing. Yet, while we weep over Peter’ s fall, and seek not to palliate his crime, we should draw from it important practical uses:
1. The danger of self-confidence. "He that thinketh he standeth should take heed lest he fall"1Co 10:12. True Christian confidence is that which relies on God for strength, and feels safety only in the belief that he is able and willing to keep from temptation.
2. The highest favors, the most exalted privileges, do not secure us from the danger of falling into sin. Few men were ever so highly favored as Peter; few ever so dreadfully departed from the Saviour, and brought so deep a scandal on religion.
3. When a man begins to sin; his fall from one act to another is easy - perhaps almost certain. At first, Peter’ s sin was only simple denial; then it increased to more violent affirmation, and ended with open profaneness. So the downward road of crime is easy. When sin is once indulged, the way is open for a whole deluge of crime, nor is the course easily stayed until the soul is overwhelmed in awful guilt.
4. True repentance is deep, thorough, bitter. Peter wept bitterly. It was sincere sorrow - sorrow proportioned to the nature of the offence he had committed.
5. A look from Jesus - a look of mingled affection, pity, and reproof - produces bitter sorrow for sin. We injure Him by our crimes; and His tender look, when we err, pierces the soul through with many sorrows, opens fountains of tears in the bosom, and leads us to weep with bitterness over our transgressions.
6. When we sin when we fall into temptation - let us retire from the world, seek the place of solitude, and pour out our sorrows before God. He will mark our groans; he will hear our sighs; he will behold our tears; and he will receive us to his arms again.
7. Real Christians may be suffered to go far astray. To show them their weakness, to check self-confidence, and to produce dependence on Jesus Christ, they may be permitted to show how weak, and feeble, and rash they are. Peter was a real believer. Jesus had prayed for him "that his faith should fail not,"Luk 22:32. Jesus was always heard in his prayer, Joh 11:42. He was heard, therefore, then. Peter’ s faith did not fail - that is, his belief in Jesus, his real piety, his true attachment to the Saviour. He knew during the whole transaction that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he himself was well acquainted with him; but he was suffered to declare that which he knew was not true, and in this consisted his sin. Yet,
8. Though a Christian may be suffered to go astray - may fall into sin - yet he who should, from this example of Peter, think that he might, lawfully do it, or who should resolve to do it, thinking that he might, like Peter, weep and repent, would give evidence that he knew nothing of the grace of God. He that resolves to sin under the expectation of repenting hereafter "cannot be a Christian."
It is worthy of further remark, that the fact that the fall of Peter is recorded by "all"the evangelists is high proof of their "honestly."They were willing to tell the truth as it was; to conceal no fact, even if it made much against themselves, and to make mention of their own faults without attempting to appear to be better than they were. And it is worthy of special observation that Mark has recorded this with all the circumstances of aggravation, perhaps even more so than the others. Yet, by the universal belief of antiquity, the Gospel of Mark was written under Peter’ s direction, and every part of it submitted to him for examination. Higher proof of the honesty and candor of the evangelists could not be demanded.
Poole: Mat 26:57 - -- Mark saith, Mar 14:53 , They led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests, and the elders, and the scr...
Mark saith, Mar 14:53 , They led Jesus away to the high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests, and the elders, and the scribes. Luke saith no more but, Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’ s house, Luk 22:54 . John saith, Joh 18:12,13 Then the band, and the captain, and the officers of the Jews, took Jesus, and bound him, and led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year. All things were now out of order in the Jewish church. Regularly, their high priests were to be such as derived from the eldest son of Aaron, and were to hold in their place for life; but they were now chosen annually, and their conquerors ruled the choice as they pleased. Yet some think, that in this the Jews kept something of their ancient form, and the high priest was chosen regularly of the house of Aaron and for life; but the Romans when they listed turned him out, and sold the place to another; and such a one was Caiaphas, who was at that time high priest, son-in-law to Annas. Their carrying of Christ first to Annas’ s house, was no more than to stay there a while till Caiaphas, and the council, which was appointed to meet that morning at the house of Caiaphas, could assemble.

Poole: Mat 26:58 - -- Mark adds, Mar 14:51 , and warmed himself at the fire. Luke saith, Luk 22:51,55 , Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high ...
Mark adds, Mar 14:51 , and warmed himself at the fire. Luke saith, Luk 22:51,55 , Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’ s house. And Peter followed afar off: And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. John gives us a more particular account how Peter came into the hall, Joh 18:15,16 : And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest. But Peter stood at the door without. Then went out that other disciple, which was known unto the high priest, and spake unto her that kept the door, and brought in Peter. Some think that this other disciple was John himself; but it is not probable that John and the high priest should be so well acquainted: it is more probably judged, that it was none of the twelve, but one who favoured Christ more secretly, some citizen of Jerusalem whom the high priest favoured, or at least knew by face, and had some respect for, and therefore he was admitted in, and he helped Peter in; who being come in, and a fire kindled in the hall, the rest of the company sat down and warmed themselves by the fire, Peter also sat down amongst them, being desirous to see the end.

Poole: Mat 26:59-60 - -- Ver. 59,60. Mark expounds this latter verse, Mar 14:56 , For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. It is plai...
Ver. 59,60. Mark expounds this latter verse, Mar 14:56 , For many bare false witness against him, but their witness agreed not together. It is plain that they had taken up a resolution to destroy Christ one way or another, but they will make a show of justice in the execution of their malice. The council being set, it is not to be thought that they had then leisure to send about for witnesses, but out of their malice they screwed and sifted such witnesses as were brought, to see if they could get of them upon their oaths to affirm any thing against him which by their law was capital.
Many false witnesses came, yet they found none that is, no two agreeing in the same story, as the law required, Deu 19:15 , for a single testimony was none. Vox unius est vox nullius, A single witness is no witness, or none that could testify any thing of a capital nature. Many came and witnessed trivial things, but none witnessed any thing which touched his life; till
at last came two false witnesses

Poole: Mat 26:61 - -- Mark saith, Mar 14:57-59 , And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that i...
Mark saith, Mar 14:57-59 , And there arose certain, and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did their witness agree together. These are called by the evangelists, false witnesses. Our Saviour said, Joh 2:19 , Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up, speaking of his body, as John tells us there, Joh 2:21 . He did not say, I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands. But Mark saith these witnesses could not agree in their tale, or their testimony, though agreeing was not sufficient to make him guilty of a capital crime. The high priest must use some other arts.

Poole: Mat 26:62-63 - -- Ver. 62,63. Mark speaks to the same purpose, Mar 14:60,61 . The high priest expected a long defence, and so to have had matter of accusation against ...
Ver. 62,63. Mark speaks to the same purpose, Mar 14:60,61 . The high priest expected a long defence, and so to have had matter of accusation against him out of his own mouth. Christ disappointeth him, saying nothing at all, either out of modesty, or not thinking what they said of any moment, or worthy of any reply, or perhaps seeing that they could not agree in their tale, so as what they said was of no force against him. The high priest therefore comes at last to examine him, ex officio. Mark saith, Mar 14:61 , Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed. Luke, to give us the story of Peter, from his first coming into the high priest’ s hall to his going out, entire, interrupts himself a little in his relation of their dealings with Christ, and then relates some indignities offered him which the other evangelists do not mention; which seem to have been offered him where the soldiers and the rabble had been before he appeared in the council: Luk 22:63-67 , And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? And many other things blasphemously spake they against him. And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people, and the chief priests, and the scribes came together, and led him into their council. Then he mentions nothing of what the witnesses said, possibly because it was nothing of moment, nothing upon which they proceeded against our Saviour for his life, but goes on, saying, Art thou the Christ? tell us. Matthew saith, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the living God? Mark, the Son of the Blessed. It is plain both from this text, and from Joh 1:49 , that the Jews did expect a Messiah who should be the Son of the ever living and blessed God; but whether they understood that he should be the Son of God by nature and eternal generation, or only by a more special adoption, than the whole Jewish nation was, (to whom the apostle saith belonged the adoption), I cannot say.
I adjure thee that thou tell us that is, as some say, I charge thee upon thy oath to tell me; but it doth not appear that they had given any such oath to him, the guilty person was not wont to be forced by an oath to accuse himself, neither is it very probable that our Saviour would have taken such an oath. The sense therefore seemeth to be rather, I command, or require, or charge thee, as solemnly as if thou hadst taken an oath, (as in the presence of God), to tell us. Or, I charge thee with a terrible imprecation on thee, if thou speakest falsely, or wilt be silent, to declare if thou be the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Poole: Mat 26:64 - -- Mark saith, Mar 14:62 , And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see, &c. Luke saith, Luk 22:67-69 , And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not ...
Mark saith, Mar 14:62 , And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see, &c. Luke saith, Luk 22:67-69 , And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: and if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. What all the evangelists say put together, makes up our Saviour’ s perfect answer. To what purpose (saith Christ) should I answer you? This is now but a captious question, not propounded by you to that end that you might be satisfied as to the truth, but only to ensnare me, for if I should tell you I am, you would not believe it. If I should argue the matter with you, you would give me no answer. I have given you proof enough, but yet, Caiaphas, thou hast said the truth, I am the Christ, the Son of the ever living, blessed God; and, to confirm you further, hereafter you shall see me, whom you think to be no more than the Son of man, sitting on the right hand of the power of God, and coming in the clouds of heaven. There is a time for a man to speak, and a time for him to hold his peace; in the matter of confession of truth. The seasons for silence, or speech, are to be judged from the honour and glory of God; when we cannot be silent without betraying the truth, we are bound to speak. Our Lord therefore, being so solemnly adjured in the name of God to tell them what was the truth, now confesseth, and denieth not, that he was the Son of God, and tells them, hereafter they should see it. Whether the term hereafter refers to the time soon following, (as

Poole: Mat 26:65-66 - -- Ver. 65,66. Mark hath much the same, Mar 14:63,64 , only he saith, they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Luke saith, Luk 22:70,71 , Then s...
Ver. 65,66. Mark hath much the same, Mar 14:63,64 , only he saith, they all condemned him to be guilty of death. Luke saith, Luk 22:70,71 , Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am? And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. This rending of clothes was a thing very ordinary amongst the Jews, used by them in testimony of sorrow and of indignation. They used it in causes of great sorrow and mourning, even before the Israelites were formed into a nation; we find it practised by Reuben and Jacob, Gen 37:29,34 , and by Jacob’ s sons, Gen 44:13 ; by Joshua and Caleb, Num 14:6 , by Jephthah, Jud 11:35 . Indeed he that was high priest was forbidden to do it, Lev 21:10 , and, in order to it, to come near a dead body, Lev 21:11 ; which command yet the Jews restrain to his priestly garments, but upon other occasions he might rend his clothes, as Caiaphas here did. It was usual in case of blasphemy, both to show their sorrow for it and detestation of it, 2Ki 19:1 Jer 36:24 Act 14:14 . So as they convicted our Saviour, not upon oaths of witnesses, but upon words which they interpreted to be blasphemy. The high priest, being but the president in this council, asks the opinion of the rest of the council. They all condemn him as guilty of a capital crime, which is here phrased
guilty of death that is, one who by their law ought to die.

Poole: Mat 26:67-68 - -- Ver. 67,68. Mark hath much the same, Mar 14:65 : And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Proph...
Ver. 67,68. Mark hath much the same, Mar 14:65 : And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy: and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. Though there be nothing more barbarous and inhuman than to add to the affliction of the afflicted, yet this is no more than we ordinarily see done by a rabble of brutish people; spitting in the face was but an ordinary token of contempt, Num 12:14 Deu 25:9 . And perhaps in all these indignities Isaiah was a type of Christ, Isa 1:6 , if that text be not to be understood of Christ immediately. In the mean time, it lets us see that there is no degree or mark of contempt, or shame, or suffering which we ought to decline and grudge at for the name of Christ; who, through much more excellent than us, yet for our sake endured the cross, and despised the shame.

Poole: Mat 26:69-70 - -- Ver. 69,70. Mark hath this, Mar 14:66,67 , only he saith, Peter was beneath in the palace, and warming himself. Luke hath this whole story befor...
Ver. 69,70. Mark hath this, Mar 14:66,67 , only he saith, Peter was beneath in the palace, and warming himself. Luke hath this whole story before what he saith of Christ’ s examination and condemnation: Luk 22:56,57 , But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. We before left Peter in the high priest’ s palace, warming himself by the fire amongst the servants. It is a dangerous thing for Christians to come into places of temptation. A maid comes to him, and charges him to have been with Christ, whom she calls
Jesus of Galilee: so they called Christ sometimes Jesus of Nazareth, the city in Galilee where Christ lived the greatest part of his life.
He denied before them all so loud that all heard it.
I know not what thou sayest or, (as Luke saith), I know him not; I neither know him, nor what thou sayest.

Poole: Mat 26:71-72 - -- Ver. 71,72. Mark hath the same, Mar 14:70 , more shortly. So Luke, Luk 22:58 . It is like Peter, upon the first alarm, began to shift away, and was g...
Ver. 71,72. Mark hath the same, Mar 14:70 , more shortly. So Luke, Luk 22:58 . It is like Peter, upon the first alarm, began to shift away, and was got into the porch, but there another meets him with the same charge. Here, to the former lie which he had told, and here repeateth, he adds an oath for the confirmation of what he had said. What are the best of men, when God leaves them to their own strength! But the temptation yet riseth higher.

Poole: Mat 26:73-74 - -- Ver. 73,74. Mark saith, Mar 14:70,71 , And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galil...
Ver. 73,74. Mark saith, Mar 14:70,71 , And a little after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one of them: for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. Luke hath it, Luk 22:59,60 , And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. One spake in the name of the rest that were gathered about Peter, and he charges Peter confidently; and he might well, for John saith, Joh 18:26 , that this was one of the servants of the high priest, being his kinsman whose ear Peter cut off. He said, Did not I see thee in the garden with him? Temptations always grow upon us in the company of wicked men. Here Peter adds to his lying, swearing and cursing; all confirming of what he had said in the denial of his Master; all in an exact fulfilling of what Christ had told Peter, Mat 26:34 , though he was then difficult to believe it; to teach us all not to presume too far upon our own strength, but to pray that we be not led into temptation; while we stand, to take heed lest we fall; and in order to it, to avoid the society of wicked men, and places in which we probably may be tempted. To teach us also charity to lapsed brethren, and not too hastily to condemn our brethren for falling a second and a third time into the same sin; especially, while the same fit of temptation holdeth. It is added, And immediately the cock crew, that is, the second time; so saith Mark, Mar 14:72 , who had mentioned the cock’ s first crowing, Mar 14:68 , upon Peter’ s first denial of his Master.

Poole: Mat 26:75 - -- Mark saith, Mar 14:72 , And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, ...
Mark saith, Mar 14:72 , And the second time the cock crew. And Peter called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought thereon, he wept. Luke saith, Luk 22:61,62 , And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out and wept bitterly. We have in this last verse Peter’ s repentance and the occasion and cause of it. A good man may fall, and that foully, but he shall not fall so as to rise no more. David lay longer than Peter under the guilt of his sin, but both of them wept bitterly. He went out of the porch; whither he went is not said; possibly he was afraid to what this detection of him might rise, or else sought a place (as Joseph did) to weep more privately and plentifully than he durst do, or thought convenient to do, in the porch of the high priest. That which gave occasion to this reflection was the crowing of the cock the second time, and his remembrance of the words of Jesus, Mat 26:34 . Our memories serve us much in the business of repentance, and therefore that the soul should be without knowledge of the law of God is not good. Peter remembered what Christ had personally said to him. True penitents are still excited to repentance, by remembering the law of God, what Christ hath in his word said to them, and considering their own ways. The crowing of the cock the second time helped him to remember the words of Jesus, for he had said, Before the cock crow twice, &c. But the cause of his repentance is expressed by Luke, The Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. More must be understood by this look of Christ upon him than the mere cast of Christ’ s bodily eye: with that look there was a virtue which went from Christ which healed Peter, exciting his habit of grace, and assisting him in the exercise of it; which double influence of grace is necessary to every renewed soul. Christ looked upon Judas, when Judas kissed him; yea, and said to him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? Yet Judas went on in his villany without remorse. He looked upon Peter, and he went out and wept bitterly. He looked only upon the face of Judas, but he looked upon the heart of Peter, as well as upon his face.
Lightfoot: Mat 26:60 - -- But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses.  [Many false witness...
But found none: yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses.  
[Many false witnesses came.]...

Lightfoot: Mat 26:65 - -- Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard this ...
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard this blasphemy.  
[Then the high priest rent his clothes.] "When witnesses speak out the blasphemy which they heard, then all, hearing the blasphemy, are bound to rend their clothes." "They that judge a blasphemer, first ask the witnesses, and bid him speak out plainly what he hath heard; and when he speaks it, the judges standing on their feet rend their garments, and do not sew them up again," etc. See there the Babylonian Gemara discoursing at large why they stand upon their feet, why they rend their garments, and why they may not be sewed up again [ Sanhedrim cap. 7. hal. 10].
Haydock: Mat 26:57 - -- To Caiphas. Our Saviour Christ was led in the night time, both to Annas and Caiphas: and first to Annas; (John xviii. 13,) perhaps because the house...
To Caiphas. Our Saviour Christ was led in the night time, both to Annas and Caiphas: and first to Annas; (John xviii. 13,) perhaps because the house of Annas was in their way; or that they had a mind to gratify the old man with the sight of Jesus, now taken prisoner and bound with ropes. (Witham) ---
After the chief priests had bribed Judas to betray Christ, they bring him to Caiphas, not as to this judge, but as to his enemy, to insult over him: and then they began to examine him concerning his doctrine and disciples, that they might find some heads of accusation from his answers: thus they shewed that they acted contrary to common justice, in apprehending a person before they had any thing to lay to his charge. (Jansenius) ---
Josephus relates that Caiphas had purchased the high priesthood for that year; although Moses, at the command of God, had ordained that a regular succession be kept up, and the son should succeed the father in the high priesthood. It is no wonder then if an iniquitous judge passed an iniquitous sentence. (St. Jerome)

Haydock: Mat 26:58 - -- Peter followed. To wit, to the court of Caiphas, where a great many of the chief priests were met. ---
And another disciple. Many think this disc...
Peter followed. To wit, to the court of Caiphas, where a great many of the chief priests were met. ---
And another disciple. Many think this disciple was St. John himself. (Witham)

Haydock: Mat 26:60 - -- False witnesses. But how were these men false witnesses, who affirm what we read in the gospel? That man is a false witness, who construes what is ...
False witnesses. But how were these men false witnesses, who affirm what we read in the gospel? That man is a false witness, who construes what is said in a sense foreign to that of the speaker. Jesus Christ spoke of the temple of his body. Our divine Saviour had said, Destroy this temple; and they affirm that he had said, I am able to destroy. Had the Jews attended sufficiently to our Saviour's words, they would easily have perceived of what Christ was speaking, from what he there says: and in three days I will raise it up. (St. Jerome) ---
These words of Jesus Christ are only mentioned by St. John ii. 19, who marks on what occasion and in what sense there were spoken. (Bible de Vence)

Haydock: Mat 26:61 - -- This man said: I am able to destroy the temple of God. These men that gave this evidence, are called false witnesses. They relate not the true wo...
This man said: I am able to destroy the temple of God. These men that gave this evidence, are called false witnesses. They relate not the true words of Christ; which were not, I can destroy, but destroy you this temple, &c. 2. Christ spoke of the temple of his body, and they of the material temple. 3. It is not unlikely that they made other additions, as well as false constructions, omitted by the evangelists. (Witham)

Haydock: Mat 26:63 - -- I adjure thee by the living God. They hoped this might make him own himself God; for which they were for stoning him. (John x. 31.) ---
St. Luke te...
I adjure thee by the living God. They hoped this might make him own himself God; for which they were for stoning him. (John x. 31.) ---
St. Luke tells us, (xxii. 66,) that this question was put to Jesus, when it was day. St. Augustine thinks it was put to him first in the night, and again the next morning. We must not forget that when Christ was examined by the high priest, one of the servants standing by gave our blessed Redeemer a box on the ear, or on the face. See John xviii. 22. (Witham) ---
Our divine Saviour as God knew perfectly well, that whatever he said would be condemned; and therefore the more Jesus was silent to what was alleged against him, the more did the high priest try to extort an answer from him, that he might have some accusation against the Lord of glory. Hence he exclaimed in that violent manner: I adjure thee, or I command thee by the living God, Greek: Exorkizo se kata tou Theou zontos. The law for witnesses is to be found in Leviticus v. 1; where the witness is pronounced guilty who should suppress the truth, after he has heard the Greek: phonen orkismou. This is the true meaning of that law, so very ill understood by many. See also Menochius, who on these very words of Leviticus says: if any one shall be called upon to say what he knows of a point that another has confirmed by oath, he shall carry his iniquity, i.e. the punishment of his iniquity, which God will inflict. (Menochius) ---
See 1 Kings xiv. 24. 27; Numbers v. 19; 1 Thessalonians v. 27. The confession or denial of a person thus interrogated was decisive. (Challoner)

Haydock: Mat 26:64 - -- Thou hast said it. Or, as it is in St. Mark, I am. According to St. Luke, Christ in the morning, before he answered directly, said to them: If I...
Thou hast said it. Or, as it is in St. Mark, I am. According to St. Luke, Christ in the morning, before he answered directly, said to them: If I tell you, you will not believe me, &c. (Witham)

Haydock: Mat 26:65 - -- The same fury that made Caiphas rise from his seat, forced him also to rend his garments, saying: he hath blasphemed. It was customary with the Jew...
The same fury that made Caiphas rise from his seat, forced him also to rend his garments, saying: he hath blasphemed. It was customary with the Jews, whenever they heard any blasphemous doctrines uttered against the majesty of the Almighty, to rend their garments in abhorrence of what was uttered. (St. Jerome) ---
This was forbidden the high priest; (Leviticus xxi. 10,) but the Pharisees allowed him to rend his clothes from the bottom, but not from the top to the breast.

Haydock: Mat 26:66 - -- He is guilty of death; i.e. of blasphemy, and so deserves to be stoned to death. (Witham)
He is guilty of death; i.e. of blasphemy, and so deserves to be stoned to death. (Witham)

Haydock: Mat 26:67 - -- Then they spat in his face, and buffetted him, &c. Here it was that the wicked council of the Sanhedrim broke up, in order to meet again the next mo...
Then they spat in his face, and buffetted him, &c. Here it was that the wicked council of the Sanhedrim broke up, in order to meet again the next morning. Our blessed Saviour in the mean time was abandoned; that is, had abandoned himself for our sake, to be abused, vilified, beaten and tormented by a crew of miscreants, by all the ways and means their enraged malice could devise or invent: which St. Luke passeth over in a few words, telling us, that, blaspheming, they said many other things against him. Let us, at least, compassionate our blessed Redeemer, and cry out with the angel in the Apocalypse: thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive power and divinity, honour and glory for ever. (Witham) ---
Behold with what accuracy the evangelist mentions every, event he most ignominious circumstance, concealing nothing, ashamed of nothing, but esteeming it his glory that the Creator of heaven and earth should suffer so much for man's redemption. Let us continually meditate upon this; let us ever glory in this, and fix it irrevocably in our minds. (St. John Chrysostom) See Mark xiv. 65; Luke xxii. 64.
Peter's Denial.

Haydock: Mat 26:69 - -- Peter sat without in the palace: i.e. in the open court below, where the servants had lighted a fire. There came to him a certain servant-maid, t...
Peter sat without in the palace: i.e. in the open court below, where the servants had lighted a fire. There came to him a certain servant-maid, the portress, says St. John, xviii. 17. But he denied, saying: I know not what thou sayest. In St. Luke, I know him not: in St. John, I am not. The sense is the same; and Peter might use all these expressions. (Witham)

Haydock: Mat 26:71 - -- As he went out of the gate another maid. St. Mark says, he went out before the court. By the Greek, he seems to have gone out of the court into t...
As he went out of the gate another maid. St. Mark says, he went out before the court. By the Greek, he seems to have gone out of the court into the porch. He went from the fire, but returned thither again: for by St. John, (xviii. 25,) this second denial was at the fire. St. Luke seems to say it was a man, [9] that spoke to him: and St. John, that they were several that spoke to him: it is likely both a girl and a man. (Witham)
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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]
Aluis, Greek: eteros, says St. Luke. St. John says, Greek: eipon auto.

Haydock: Mat 26:73 - -- And after a little while. St. Luke says, about an hour after: this seems to have been about the time that the cocks crow the second time. ---
The...
And after a little while. St. Luke says, about an hour after: this seems to have been about the time that the cocks crow the second time. ---
They that stood by came. St. Luke says, another man. St. John says, the cousin to him whose ear Peter cut off. It is probable not he alone, but others with him. ---
Peter began to curse and swear. It is in vain to pretend to excuse Peter, as if he meant that he knew not Jesus, as man; but knew him as God. [10] They (says St. Jerome) who are for excusing Peter in this manner, accuse Christ of a lie, who foretold that he should deny him. (Witham) ---
See how one fall draws on another, and generally deeper: to a simple untruth is added perjury; and to this, horrible imprecations against himself. Lord, Jesus, preserve us! or, I also shall deny thee!
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[BIBLIOGRAPHY]
St. Jerome, in Matt. p. 133, scio quosdam pii affectus erga Apostolum Petrum, locum hunc ita interpretatos, ut dicerent Petrum non Deum negasse, sed hominem ... Hoc quam frivolum sit, prudens Lector intelligit; qui sic defendunt Apostolum, ut Deum mendacii reum faciant.
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Haydock: Mat 26:75 - -- And Peter remembered the word of Jesus. St. Augustine understands this rather of an interior illumination of grace: but it is likely our Saviour the...
And Peter remembered the word of Jesus. St. Augustine understands this rather of an interior illumination of grace: but it is likely our Saviour then might be where he saw Peter, and gave him a glance of his eye. ---
And going forth he wept bitterly: even daily all his life-time, say the ancient historians of his life. (Witham) ---
St. Clement, pope, in his itinerary, relates how St. Peter was ever after accustomed to watch in prayer, from the first crow of the cock till morning, pouring forth torrents of tears, and bitterly bewailing his heinous crime. (Denis the Carthusian) ---
Let us compassionate our blessed Lord under his sufferings, and in opposition to the cruel malice of his enemies, let his followers cry out with the angel in the Apocalypse: Thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive power and divinity, honour and glory, for ever and ever.
Gill: Mat 26:57 - -- And they that had laid hold on Jesus,.... Who were the band, and the captain, and the officers of the Jews, as Joh 18:12, or as the Jews themselves sa...
And they that had laid hold on Jesus,.... Who were the band, and the captain, and the officers of the Jews, as Joh 18:12, or as the Jews themselves say q, the elders of Jerusalem; who not only laid fast hold on him, but bound him; and that both for greater security of him, some of them perhaps knowing how he had made his escape from them formerly; or at least taking the hint from Judas, to hold him fast, and lead him away safely; and by way of reproach and contempt, thereby showing that he was a malefactor, and had done some crime worthy of bonds; and having him thus in fast and safe custody, they
led him away to Caiaphas, the high priest; who was high priest that year; for the priesthood was frequently changed in those times, and men were put into it by the Roman governor, through favour or bribery. The year before this, Simeon, or Simon ben Camhith, was high priest; and the year before that, Eleazar, the son of Ananus; and before him, Ishmael ben Phabi, who were all three, successively, made high priests by the Roman governor: as was also this Caiaphas, this year; and who by Josephus r, and in the Talmud s likewise, is called Joseph. From whence he had his name Caiaphas, is not certain: Jerom t says, it signifies "a searcher", or "a sagacious person"; but may be better interpreted, he adds, "one that vomits at the mouth"; deriving the word, as I suppose, from
where the Scribes and elders were assembled: a council was held about a week before this, in which Caiaphas assisted, and then gave counsel to the Jews, that it was expedient, that one man should die for the people, Joh 11:47, whether that was held at his house, or elsewhere, is not certain, very probably it might; however, it is clear from Mat 26:2, that two days ago, the chief priests, Scribes, and elders, were assembled together in his palace, to consult about putting Jesus to death; and here they were again met together on the same account, waiting to have him brought before them,

Gill: Mat 26:58 - -- But Peter followed him afar off,.... The Ethiopic version adds, alone; and which seems to be the true case; for though there was another disciple who ...
But Peter followed him afar off,.... The Ethiopic version adds, alone; and which seems to be the true case; for though there was another disciple who also followed Jesus, and is thought to be John, yet it looks as if they followed him separately, and not together; for the other disciple went into the palace with Jesus, but Peter not till afterwards, being espied by his fellow disciple standing without. These two it seems, having a little recovered themselves from the fright they had been put into, stopped and turned back, and followed after Jesus, to see what would be the issue of things. Peter's following Christ, showed love to him; he was lothe to leave him, his bowels moved towards him, and he wanted to know how it would fare with him, and what would become of him; and yet keeping at a distance, following him afar off, betrayed fear, lest he should be observed, and taken up, and come into danger: however, he proceeded on his way in a slow pace, till he came
into the high priest's palace, and went in and sat with the servants, to see the end; of the matter, or business, as the Ethiopic and Persic versions add; to see how it would go with him, whether he would exert his divine power, and deliver himself out of their, hands, which he knew he was able to do, when he would again join him; or what punishment they would inflict upon him, whether they would scourge him, and then let him go; or whether they would sentence him to death; that so he might know how to provide for his own safety: all which was indulging curiosity, and the carnal reasonings of his mind; and it showed want of integrity at that time, and some degree of hypocrisy, in placing himself among the servants of the high priest, as if he was none of the followers of Jesus, but was of the same complexion and cast with them: he had got into bad company, and was in the way of temptation; and though he had no design in following Jesus, and in going into the high priest's palace, and seating himself among the servants to deny his Lord, yet all this led on to it; for which reason these several circumstances are taken notice of, the account of which denial of his, is afterwards related.

Gill: Mat 26:59 - -- Now the chief priests and elders, and all the counsel,.... Or sanhedrim, which consisted, as the Jewish writers say u, of priests, Levites, and Israel...
Now the chief priests and elders, and all the counsel,.... Or sanhedrim, which consisted, as the Jewish writers say u, of priests, Levites, and Israelites, of both ecclesiastics and laics; the ecclesiastics were the priests and Levites, and the laics the Israelites, or elders of the people; for if priests and Levites could not be found, a sanhedrim might consist of those only; and so those words in Deu 21:2, "thy elders", are thus interpreted w,
sought false witness against Jesus, to put him to death; they first take him up, and then seek out for witnesses against him; being determined, right or wrong, to put him to death, if possible; and false witnesses too, even those whose business it was, to examine and detect false witnesses, and to inflict the same punishment upon them, which they by their false testimony intended to have brought on another, Deu 19:18. And besides, it was in the night, when it was forbid by their canons to begin the trial of capital causes, or to receive and admit of witnesses y. Indeed the Syriac and Persic versions read, only witnesses, or witness, and leave out the word "false"; perhaps imagining, that men could never be so wicked, to seek out for false witnesses: but this need not be wondered at, when these men were bent upon the death of Christ at any rate; and were aware that nothing true could be objected to him, that would legally take away his life; and besides, their manner of procedure in judgment against a false prophet, a deceiver, and one that enticed to idolatry, and such an one they would have Jesus to be, was quite different from what they took with other persons: their canon runs thus z:
"the judgment of a deceiver, is not as the rest of capital judgments; his witnesses are hid; and he has no need, or ought not to have any premonition, or warning, as the rest of those that are put to death; and if he goes out of the sanhedrim acquitted, and one says I can prove the charge against him, they turn him back; but if he goes out condemned, and one says I can prove him innocent the do not return him.
So in the Misna a it is said,
"of all that are condemned to death in the law, none have their witnesses hidden but this (the deceiver, or one that entices to idolatry)--and they hide his witnesses behind a wall, or hedge; and he (whom he endeavoured to seduce) says to him, say what thou hast said to me privately; and if he repeats it to him, he must say, how shall we leave our God that is in heaven, and go and serve stocks and stones! if he repents, it is well; but if he should say, so we are bound to do, and so it becomes us, they that stand behind the wall, or hedge, shall carry him to the sanhedrim and stone him.
In the Gemara it is thus expressed b,
"they light up a lamp in the innermost house, and set the witnesses in the outermost house, so that they can see him and hear his voice, and he cannot see them.
And then follows what is said before, to which is added, "so they did to Ben Stada"; by whom they mean Jesus of Nazareth. Moreover, this need not seem strange, that they took such a course with Christ, when in the case of Stephen, they suborned and set up false witnesses against him. The sanhedrim cannot be thought to do this in person, but they sent out their officers to seek for such men, as could or would produce anything against him, and no doubt promised them an handsome reward,

Gill: Mat 26:60 - -- But found none,.... That were fit for their purpose,
yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none; whose testimonies were sufficient ...
But found none,.... That were fit for their purpose,
yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none; whose testimonies were sufficient to put him to death, which was what they were resolved upon, or whose witness were not alike and agreed; for according to their law, a man must not die by the mouth of one witness only, but by the mouth of two or three witnesses agreed in a point; and though they might be willing enough to dispense with the law in this case, yet might have some regard to their own character and reputation; and especially as they meant to deliver him to the Roman governor, in order to be condemned by him; they knew they must have a charge, and this supported with a proper evidence, or they could not hope to succeed; for which reason, they could not put up, as they otherwise willingly would, with any sort of witnesses:
at the last came two false witnesses; who were agreed in a point, and whose testimonies were alike; at least, had a greater appearance of truth and agreement than the rest; though Mark says, "neither so did their witnesses agree together", Mar 14:59, as to prove the point, for which it was given.

Gill: Mat 26:61 - -- And said, this fellow said,.... Or saith, as De Dieu observes, the Syriac version of this place should be rendered; that is, he has not only said in t...
And said, this fellow said,.... Or saith, as De Dieu observes, the Syriac version of this place should be rendered; that is, he has not only said in times past, referring to Joh 2:19, but continues to say it, and glory in it:
I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days; in which they did injury, both to his words and sense: he did not say, "I am able to destroy the temple", but only said, "destroy this temple"; signifying neither his power, nor his will and inclination to it; but put it upon the Jews, and left it to them to do it: nor did he say one word about the temple of God, or as it is in Mar 14:58, "this temple that is made with hands"; the temple at Jerusalem, which was made by the hands of men, and devoted to the worship of God; but only "this temple", referring to his body, or human nature; in which he, the Son of God, dwelt, as in a temple; nor did he say that he was able to "build" it in three days, but that he would "raise it up" in three days; intending the resurrection of his body by his own power, after it had been dead three days; and so they perverted his sense, as well as misquoted his words; applying that to the material temple at Jerusalem, what he spoke of the temple of his body, and of its resurrection from the dead, on the third day; designing hereby to fix a charge, both of sacrilege and sorcery upon him: of sacrilege, in having a design upon the temple of God to destroy it; and of sorcery, or familiarity with the devil, and having assistance from him, or knowledge of the magic art, that he could pretend in three days to rebuild a temple, which had been forty and six years in building; and was what could never be done, but by help of Beelzebub, the prince of devils, by whom it was insinuated he did all his miracles.

Gill: Mat 26:62 - -- And the high priest arose and said unto him,.... He rose up from his seat in great wrath and anger; partly being vexed, that they could get no other a...
And the high priest arose and said unto him,.... He rose up from his seat in great wrath and anger; partly being vexed, that they could get no other and better testimony; and partly because of Christ's contemptuous silence, giving no answer to the witnesses, as judging they deserved none; and which highly provoked the high priest, and therefore in passion said,
answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee? Is it true or false, right or wrong? The Vulgate Latin renders it, "dost thou answer nothing to those things which these witness against thee?" To which agree the Arabic version, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel.

Gill: Mat 26:63 - -- But Jesus held his peace,.... Knowing it would signify nothing, whatever he should say, they being set upon his death, the time of which was now come;...
But Jesus held his peace,.... Knowing it would signify nothing, whatever he should say, they being set upon his death, the time of which was now come; and therefore he quietly submits, and says nothing in his own defence to prevent it. To be silent in a court of judicature, Apollonius Tyanaeus c says, is the fourth virtue; this Christ had, and all others:
and the high priest answered and said unto him; though Christ had said nothing, a way of speaking very frequent among the Jews, and in the sacred writings:
I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God; the Christ; the anointed, that David speaks of in the second Psalm, and who is there said to be the Son of God, Psa 2:2, to which the high priest seems to have respect; since there is no other passage, in which both these characters meet; and which was understood by the ancient Jews of the Messiah, as is owned by modern ones d. Jesus was given out to be the Messiah, and his disciples believed him to be the Son of God, and he had affirmed himself to be so; wherefore the high priest, exerting his priestly power and authority, puts him upon his oath; or at least with an oath made by the living God, charges him to tell the truth, and which when ever any heard the voice of swearing, he was obliged to do, Lev 5:1.

Gill: Mat 26:64 - -- Jesus saith unto him, thou hast said,.... That is, thou hast said right; or as Mark expresses it, "I am", Mar 14:62, the Christ, the anointed of God, ...
Jesus saith unto him, thou hast said,.... That is, thou hast said right; or as Mark expresses it, "I am", Mar 14:62, the Christ, the anointed of God, who was so from everlasting, and in time; being before the world was, installed into, and invested with the office of mediator; and in the fulness of time, anointed with the holy Spirit without measure: he might truly say he was the Messiah, since all the characters of him in the books of the prophets, met in him; and all the miracles he was to work in proof of his Messiahship were wrought by him: as also that be was the Son of God, not by creation, as angels and men; nor by adoption, as saints; nor as man, or in the human nature, in which he was the son of man, and not the Son of God; nor was he begotten as man, whereas he is called the only begotten Son, and the begotten of the Father; and was he the Son of God as man not the first, but the third person must be his Father; besides, he was the Son of God before his incarnation: nor as mediator neither; be was the Son of God, antecedent to his office as mediator; his sonship is distinct from it, is an illustration of it, and what puts virtue into it; but he is so as God, as a divine person, by natural and eternal filiation; being begotten of the Father in the divine essence, and of the same nature; and having the same perfections with him, and in all things equal to him; and is the sense in which he always affirmed God to be his Father, and himself to be his Son. For this phrase, "thou hast said", as answering to an affirmation, "I am"; see Gill on Mat 26:25. Now, though Christ had so fully answered to the adjuration, and so strongly affirmed himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God, yet he knew they would not believe; and therefore refers them to an after proof thereof, which whether they would or not, would oblige them to acknowledge the whole:
nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the son of man, sitting at the right hand of power: the Vulgate Latin, and Munster's Hebrew Gospel, read "the power of God", as in Luk 22:69, though it is not absolutely necessary; for "power" designs God himself, who is all powerful; as appears by the creation of all things out of nothing, the upholding of all things in their being, the redemption of men, the conversion of sinners, and the preservation of his saints. In the Jewish writings e, God is frequently called,
and coming in, the clouds of heaven. So Christ's coming to take vengeance on the Jewish nation, as it is often called the coming of the son of man, is described in this manner, Mat 24:27. Though this may also be understood of Christ's second coming to judgment, at the last day; when as he went up to heaven in a cloud, he will return, and come also in the clouds of heaven; see Act 1:9 Rev 1:7, when he will be seen by the eyes of all, good and bad; and when this sanhedrim, before whom he now was, will see him also, and confess that he is Lord and Christ, and the Son of God. Though the former clause seems to have regard to what would quickly come to pass, and what they should soon observe, and be convinced of; for

Gill: Mat 26:65 - -- Then the high priest rent his clothes,.... Both his outer and inner garments. This he did, to show his zeal for the honour and glory of God, his grief...
Then the high priest rent his clothes,.... Both his outer and inner garments. This he did, to show his zeal for the honour and glory of God, his grief and concern at the profanation of his holy name by a false oath, and his abhorrence of, and indignation at the blasphemy he supposed Christ to be guilty of, in asserting himself to be the Son of God. Some have thought, that Caiaphas in this action, transgressed the law, in Lev 21:10, where it is said, that "the high priest--shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes": and it is one of the Jews' negative precepts i, that "an high priest is prohibited,
and that therefore being transported with passion at the greatness of the supposed crime, could not forbear expressing his detestation of it in this manner, though it was forbidden him: but it does not appear to have been unlawful: as for the law in Leviticus, it only regards the rending of garments at funerals, or in mourning for the dead, as the context shows; and so Jonathan ben Uzziel paraphrases the text, "nor rent his clothes":
"an high priest rends below, and a common person above:
the sense of which, according to their commentators, is m,
"that if anyone dies for whom an high priest is obliged to rend his garments, he must rend below, at the extreme part of his garment, near his feet; and as for what is written, nor rend his clothes; the meaning is, he shall not rend as other men do, above, over against the breast, near the shoulder, as the rest of the people.
Moreover, a priest might not go into the sanctuary, nor perform any part of service with his clothes rent; the canon runs thus n,
"the judgment, or the law of them that rend their garment, and of those that uncover the head, is one and the same, as it is said, Lev 10:6, lo! if he is in service, and rends his garments, he is guilty of death by the hands of heaven, though his service is right, and not profaned.
And indeed no man, whether a priest or an Israelite, might go into the temple with his clothes rent; and a priest might not rend his sacerdotal garments, on any account; yet such were not these that Caiaphas now had on; but in case of hearing blasphemy, everyone, be he what he would, was obliged to rend his garments o:
"Whosoever hears the cursing of the name (of God) is obliged to rend, even at the cursing of the surnames he is obliged to rend; and he that hears it from an Israelite, both he that hears, and he that hears from the mouth of him that hears, he is obliged to rend; but he that hears from the mouth of a Gentile, is not obliged to rend; and Eliakim and Shebna would not have rent, but because Rabshakeh was an apostate.
So when witnesses expressed the blasphemy of such they testified against, the judges were obliged to rise up and rend their garments; concerning which, take the following rule p:
"a blasphemer is not guilty, unless he expresses the name (of God); says R. Joshua ben Korcha, all the day the witnesses are examined by the surnames; but when the cause is finished, they do not put to death because of the surnames, but they bring every man out, and ask the chief among them, and say to him, say expressly what thou hast heard, and he says it: then the judges stand upon their feet,
From all which it appears, that Caiaphas did what was the custom of the nation to do in such a case. The observation, that some learned men have made, that the high priest's rending his garments, was, though without his intention, an emblem and presage, of the rending of the priesthood from him, and his brethren, and the entire change of it; as the abolition of the whole ceremonial law, was signified by the rending of the vail of the temple in twain; and as the removing of the kingdom from Saul, was represented by Samuel's rending his mantle; and the revolt of the ten tribes to Jeroboam, by Abijah's rending his garment into twelve pieces, and giving ten to him; would have had a much better foundation to be built on, were these clothes that Caiaphas rent, his priestly ones: but such they were not; for both the high priest, and the other priests, only wore their sacerdotal garments in the temple; nor was it lawful for them to go out in them elsewhere; for so the Jews say q,
"it is forbidden to go out into the province; city, or country, in the garments of the priesthood; but in the sanctuary, whether in the time of service, or not in the time of service, it was lawful.
In the temple, there were chests on purpose for the garments of the priests r; from whence they took them, and where they laid them up when they had performed their service: of these there were ninety six in number; for as there were twenty four courses, there were four chests for every course; in which the garments were put by themselves, the breeches by themselves, the girdles by themselves, the bonnets by themselves, and the coats by themselves; sealed up with an inscription on them, showing what was in them: and when the men that belonged to such a course, came to perform their service in turn, they opened these chests, and clothed themselves: and when they went out of their service, they put them up in them again, and sealed them; and as for
"the high priest, he left his golden garments,
Nor might he go abroad with them, unless
Act 23:5, which he must have done, had he had on his priestly garments: for when the priests were not in the temple, and out of service, they wore no distinguishing habits, but were dressed as laics, and as the common people were u. The reason of Caiaphas's rending his clothes, is expressed in, the next clause,
saying, he hath spoken blasphemy: not only because Jesus asserted that he was the Messiah, but also the Son of God; hereby making himself equal with God, which is the sense in which the Jews always understood this phrase; and he appearing to them to be but a mere man, they charged it as blasphemy against God, to assume such a character and relation to himself:
what further need have we of witnesses? of seeking after others, as they had done: or of further examining and taking the depositions of those, who were before them: he was for putting a stop to the process, and bringing the cause at once to an issue: and therefore addresses the court in the following manner,
behold now, ye have heard his blasphemy: out of his own mouth, as Luk 22:71, expresses it; and with their own ears, and at that very time; so that they had no need of recourse to things past, or examine witnesses about what they had heard from him formerly: and therefore he proposes, that they would attend to, and take notice of his present words; and which, as he suggests, were shocking and astonishing: for the word, "behold!" may not only be a note of attention, but of astonishment,

Gill: Mat 26:66 - -- What think ye?.... Of the words just now spoken by him; do not they in your opinion amount to a charge of blasphemy and what punishment do you think o...
What think ye?.... Of the words just now spoken by him; do not they in your opinion amount to a charge of blasphemy and what punishment do you think ought to be inflicted on him? is he guilty of death, or not? This question he put, as being president of the court:
they answered and said, he is guilty of death; they were unanimous in their vote, for Mark says, "they all condemned him to be guilty of death"; only Joseph of Arimathea must be excepted, who consented not to their counsel and deed, Luk 23:51, and so must Nicodemus, if he was present; who seeing what they were determined to do, withdrew themselves before the question came to be put, and so it passed "nemine contradicente"; and indeed, if he had been guilty of blasphemy, as they charged him, the sentence would have been right. Now this was in the night, in which they begun, carried on, and finished this judicial procedure, quite contrary to one of their own canons w which runs thus:
"pecuniary causes they try in the day, and finish in the night; capital causes (such was this) they try in the day, and finish in the day; pecuniary causes they finish the same day, whether for absolution, or condemnation; capital causes they finish the same day for absolution, and the day following for condemnation; wherefore they do not try causes neither on the sabbath eve, nor on the eve of a feast day.
But in this case, they begun the trial in the night, examined the witnesses, finished it, and passed the sentence of condemnation, and that in the eve of a grand festival, their Chagigah,

Gill: Mat 26:67 - -- Then did they spit in his face,.... Not the judges, the members of the sanhedrim, but the servants of the high priest, and the officers that had Jesus...
Then did they spit in his face,.... Not the judges, the members of the sanhedrim, but the servants of the high priest, and the officers that had Jesus in hold, and were the guard upon him; see Luk 22:63, who seeing him condemned as guilty of death, thought they might insult him at pleasure, and use him in the most indecent and barbarous manner; and therefore, in a way of contempt, spit in his face; than which nothing was more reproachful and disgraceful: the Jews x say, that he that spits before, or in the presence of his master, is guilty of death, so nauseous and filthy was it accounted; and how much more must it be so, to spit in the face of anyone? hereby a prophecy was fulfilled, Isa 50:6, "I hid not my face from shame and spitting": and hereby, together with his sweat and blood, his visage was more marred than any man's, and his form than the sons of men:
and buffeted him; cuffed, or boxed him with their double fists:
and others smote him, with the palms of their hands; gave him many a slap on the face with their open hands, or struck him on the face with rods, as the word will bear to be rendered: they rapped him with the wands they had in their hands, and struck him on the head with the rods or staves they had with them; whereby was accomplished the prophecy, in Mic 5:1, "they shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek". This was very injurious treatment, the Jews themselves being witnesses; who have in their canons enjoined y, that "if a man strikes his neighbour with his double fist, he must give him a shekel; R. Judah says, on account of R. Jose the Galilean, a pound: if he gives him a slap of the face, he must pay him two hundred zuzims, or pence; and if with the back of his hand (which was accounted z the more ignominious) four hundred zuzims: if he plucked him by his ear, or plucked off his hair, or spit, so as that the spittle came upon him, or took away his cloak--he must pay four hundred zuzims, and all according to his honour or dignity.
All these indignities were done to Christ; see Isa 50:6.

Gill: Mat 26:68 - -- Saying, prophesy unto us, thou Christ,.... Not that they owned him to be the Messiah; but because he asserted himself to be the Messiah, and his follo...
Saying, prophesy unto us, thou Christ,.... Not that they owned him to be the Messiah; but because he asserted himself to be the Messiah, and his followers believed in him as such, they call him so; and in an ironical and sarcastic way, call upon him to divine, and tell them who the persons were, that used him in this manner; suggesting, that if he was the Christ, or Messiah, he would know all things, and what were done to him:
who is he that smote thee? for they had covered his face, or blindfolded him, as the other Evangelists say, Mar 14:65, and then bid him tell them who smote him last. Christ did not think fit to give them an answer to this question, but he will let them know hereafter, who the particular person, or persons were, that smote him; and when it will appear to all the churches, and to all the world, that he is the Lord God omniscient. Some learned men have observed a, that there was a play formerly used, called by the ancients,

Gill: Mat 26:69 - -- Now Peter sat without in the palace,.... Peter's denial of his Lord, the account of which follows, is related among the sufferings of Christ; and inde...
Now Peter sat without in the palace,.... Peter's denial of his Lord, the account of which follows, is related among the sufferings of Christ; and indeed, the ill usage he met with from his enemies, their spitting in his face, buffeting him with their fists, smiting him on the cheeks with their hands, and rods, did not give him so much pain and grief, as to be denied by his own disciple: we are before told, Mat 26:58, that Peter followed Christ afar off, and went into the high priest's palace, and sat with the servants there, to see what would be the end and issue of these things: and here now he was in the apartment, where the council sat, and were examining and trying Jesus; though, as Mark says, "beneath in the palace", Mar 14:66; in the lower part of the room, in the great hall, in the midst of which the servants had made a fire: the Arabic version reads it, "in the area of the court": here Peter had placed himself, and here he sat making his observations:
and a damsel came unto him; one of the maids of the high priest, as Mark says, Mar 14:66; and according to the Evangelist John, was she that kept the door, and had let him in, Joh 18:16,
saying, thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee. The Arabic and Persic versions read, Jesus the Nazarene, or of Nazareth, as below. So she called him, not so much to distinguish him from any other of that name, as by way of reproach; suggesting, that he could not be the Messiah, or that prophet; since Christ comes not out of Galilee, nor does any prophet arise from thence: and when she charges him with being "with" him, her meaning is not, that he was with him in the garden, when he was taken; where it cannot be thought she was to see him; nor with him in the temple, or in any part of Jerusalem, where she possibly might have seen him; but that he was a disciple of his, one that believed in him, embraced him as the Messiah, had imbibed his principles and doctrines, and was of his party; and was only come thither as a spy, to see what would be done to him.

Gill: Mat 26:70 - -- But he denied before them all,.... Which was a very great aggravation of his sin; for, as it is to a man's commendation to profess a good profession o...
But he denied before them all,.... Which was a very great aggravation of his sin; for, as it is to a man's commendation to profess a good profession of Christ before many witnesses, so it is to his disgrace, and is resented by Christ, to deny him before men: he did not deny that Christ was God, or the Son of God, or that he was come in the flesh, or that Jesus was the Christ, or that he was the only Saviour of sinners; but that he was with him, or one of his disciples,
saying, I know not what thou sayest: which was a very great falsehood; he knew the sense and import of her words; he denied that which was most true; he had been with him from the beginning, had heard all his discourses, and seen his miracles; he had been with him at particular times, and in particular places, when and where some others of the disciples were not admitted, as at the raising of Jairus's daughter, at the transfiguration in the mount, and in the garden, very lately; and yet, O base ingratitude! now denies that he had been with him; or that he knew what was meant by such an expression. He denied that he was a disciple of Christ, which was his greatest character, and highest glory; and this denial did not arise from any diffidence of his being one, or from a sense of his unworthiness to be one, but from the fear of man, which brought this snare upon him: and the more his weakness is discovered in it, that he should be intimidated by a servant maid into such a denial, who but a few hours before had confidently affirmed, that though he should die with Christ, he would not deny him; and who had so courageously drawn his sword in his master's cause, in the face of a band of soldiers, and a multitude of armed men with swords and staves. This was his first denial; a second follows.

Gill: Mat 26:71 - -- And when he was gone out into the porch,.... The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "the gate": and so does Munster's Hebrew Gospel; b...
And when he was gone out into the porch,.... The Vulgate Latin, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "the gate": and so does Munster's Hebrew Gospel; but more rightly it is rendered, "the porch": he did not attempt to go out at the door, and run away, though he could gladly have done it; but he feared to do this, lest, as this would discover him, they should pursue him, and overtake him, and bring him before the sanhedrim: he chose rather to keep his ground, but was very uneasy; and therefore moved into the porch, where he sat very pensive, considering what was proper for him to do; when
another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, this fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth: she speaks of Christ in the same contemptuous manner, as her fellow servant had done; for this appellation of Christ was commonly, if not always used by way of contempt; and she means the same thing by his being with him, the other did, and is rather more spiteful, and bent on mischief; for, the other addressed him alone, and what she said, said to himself; but this directs her speech to the servants and officers that were near at hand, and uses him in a very scurrilous manner: this sorry fellow, that is sauntering and lurking about here, is certainly one of this man's disciples.

Gill: Mat 26:72 - -- And again he denied with an oath,.... He denied a second time, that he had ever been with Jesus, or was a disciple of his; and to put it out of all do...
And again he denied with an oath,.... He denied a second time, that he had ever been with Jesus, or was a disciple of his; and to put it out of all doubt, and an end to all dispute about it, and further charge of this kind, as he hoped, he annexed an oath to it: he swore by the God of truth; made a solemn appeal to the omniscient God, the searcher of hearts, that he was so far from being ever with Jesus of Nazareth, or a disciple of his, that, says he,
I do not know the man: meaning not only that he had no personal knowledge of him, or acquaintance with him; but that he had never seen the man in his life, nor did he know what manner of man he was. This, as it was a downright falsehood, it was what he had no need to have said; for there were multitudes that knew Christ in this sense, who never joined with him, or became his disciples. This was so much overdoing it, that it was much it had not given them a suspicion of him. Those that would excuse Peter's sin, by supposing that he meant, that he knew Christ to be God, and did not know him as a mere man, have no foundation for such a supposition; and indeed, such an ambiguous expression, and mental reservation, is no other than dealing fallaciously. Peter knew Christ in every sense; he knew him spiritually, whom to know is life eternal: and he valued the knowledge of him above all things else: he knew him to be God, and the Son of God; he knew him as mediator, and the Saviour of lost sinners; he knew him as man, and had had personal intimacy and conversation with him of a long time, and yet now denies he knew him; and that with an oath, adding perjury to lying; and so it is, that one sin leads on to another. This instance of Peter's shows the wickedness and deceitfulness of man's heart; and what the best of men are, or would be, when left to themselves, and of God: they become like other men, even like the men of the world, whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.

Gill: Mat 26:73 - -- And after a while,.... Mark says, "a little after",
Mar 14:70, and Luke observes, that it was "about the space of one hour after", Luk 22:59, so th...
And after a while,.... Mark says, "a little after",
Mar 14:70, and Luke observes, that it was "about the space of one hour after", Luk 22:59, so that here was time to reflect upon what he had been saying, and to guard against another temptation, should he be attacked; but, alas! as yet he was unmindful of his Lord's words, and persists in the denial of him, and that with greater aggravation, than at his first surprise: and indeed his temptation was now more violent: for there
came unto him they that stood by; the officers and servants of the high priest, his attendants that waited upon him, and who stood by the fire, where Peter was warming himself: before he was attacked by single maidservants, now by a body of men, and one of them the kinsman of the man whose ear he had cut off, and who challenged him, as having seen him in the garden: and another confidently affirmed, and swore to it, that he was with Jesus, and was a Galilean; and all of them agreed in this,
and said to Peter, surely thou also art one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee: not his spiritual speech, for he had not been speaking in the language of a disciple of Christ, like one that had been with Jesus; nor his swearing neither, for this rather showed him to be one of them; but his country language, the brogue of his speech, the Galilean dialect which he spoke: for in Mark it is said, "thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereunto", Mar 14:70, for though the same language was spoken in Galilee as at Jerusalem, yet it was not so accurate and polite in Galilee, nor so well pronounced; words of different signification were confounded together. Hence the Talmudists say b, that "the men of Judah, who were careful of their language, their law was confirmed in their hands; the men of Galilee, who were not careful of their language, their law was not confirmed in their hands--the men of Galilee, who do not attend to language, what is reported of them? a Galilean went and said to them,
By which instances it appears, that a Galilean pronounced "Chamor", an ass, and "Chamar", wine, and "Hamar", wool, and "Immar", a lamb, all one, and the same way, without any distinction; so that it was difficult to know which of these he meant. Many other instances of the like kind are given in the same place, which show the Galilean to be a more gross, barbarous, and impolite language, than what was spoken at Jerusalem; and Peter using this dialect, was known to be a Galilean: just as the Ephraimites were known by their pronouncing Shibboleth, Sibboleth,

Gill: Mat 26:74 - -- Then began he to curse, and to swear,.... He swore before, and now he began "to curse"; not Christ, as Saul compelled some to blaspheme him, who profe...
Then began he to curse, and to swear,.... He swore before, and now he began "to curse"; not Christ, as Saul compelled some to blaspheme him, who professed him, and as the Jews formerly cursed Christ, and his followers, in their synagogues: for Peter's crime was bad enough, it need not be made worse than it was: he could never call Jesus accursed; in so doing he would have sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost; but he cursed himself; "he began to imprecate himself", as the Arabic version renders it; he made dreadful imprecations and wishes; wished that all the miseries and calamities he could think of might fall upon him, if he was one of the disciples of Jesus of Nazareth, or knew anything of him: saying,
I know not the man; if I do, God do so to me, or more also: let vengeance light upon me; may I be the most miserable creature in the world, if I know anything of him,
and immediately the cock crew: as he was swearing and cursing in this manner; as soon as ever the words were out of his mouth, and he had in this sad and solemn manner three times denied that he knew Christ, or was ever with him, or a disciple of his. It is forbid, by a Jewish canon, to keep cocks at Jerusalem; it runs thus c:
"they do not bring up cocks in Jerusalem, because of the holy things, neither do the priests in all the land of Israel, because of the purifications.
Whether this canon was then in being, or how it was dispensed with, or whether there was any particular providence in the cock being here now, and so nigh the high priest's palace, is not certain; but one there was: nor can the Jews deny that there were cocks at Jerusalem; for they themselves speak of a cock,

Gill: Mat 26:75 - -- And Peter remembered the words of Jesus,.... Forgetfulness of God, of his works, of his words, and of his law, of his revealed mind and will, is often...
And Peter remembered the words of Jesus,.... Forgetfulness of God, of his works, of his words, and of his law, of his revealed mind and will, is often the cause of sin; and a remembrance of things is necessary to the recovery of a fallen or backsliding professor; as, of what he is fallen from, of the love and kindness of God formerly shown to him, of his evil ways and works he is fallen into, and of the words and truths of Christ he has been very indifferent unto and lukewarm about:
which said unto him, before the cock crow, or is done crowing,
thou shalt deny me thrice; which he was put in mind of on hearing the cock crow. So by one means, or another, sometimes by some remarkable providence, and sometimes by the ministry of the word, God is pleased to alarm and awaken sleepy professors, backsliding believers, and remind them of their condition and duty, and restore them by repentance, as he did Peter:
and he went out; of the high priest's palace, either through fear, lest he should be seen weeping, and be suspected; or rather through shame, not being able to continue where his Lord was, when he had so shamefully denied him; as also to leave the company he had got into, being sensible he was wrong in mingling himself with such, and thereby exposed himself to these temptations; as well as to vent his grief in tears privately:
and wept bitterly; being thoroughly sensible what an evil and bitter thing the sin was, he had been guilty of: his repentance sprung from Christ's looking upon him, and from his looking to Jesus, and was truly evangelical: it was a sorrow after a godly sort, and was increased by the discoveries of Christ's love unto him; and was attended with faith in him, and views of pardon through him: the Persic version adds, "and his sin is forgiven"; which, though not in the text, yet is a truth; for Peter's repentance was not like Cain's, nor Esau's, nor Judas's; it was not the repentance of one in despair, but was a repentance unto life and salvation, which needed not to be repented of.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Mat 26:57; Mat 26:57; Mat 26:58; Mat 26:58; Mat 26:59; Mat 26:60; Mat 26:61; Mat 26:62; Mat 26:63; Mat 26:63; Mat 26:63; Mat 26:64; Mat 26:64; Mat 26:64; Mat 26:65; Mat 26:65; Mat 26:66; Mat 26:66; Mat 26:66; Mat 26:68; Mat 26:68; Mat 26:68; Mat 26:68; Mat 26:69; Mat 26:69; Mat 26:70; Mat 26:71; Mat 26:71; Mat 26:73; Mat 26:73; Mat 26:74; Mat 26:75
NET Notes: Mat 26:57 Or “where the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.

NET Notes: Mat 26:58 The guards would have been the guards of the chief priests who had accompanied Judas to arrest Jesus.




NET Notes: Mat 26:62 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the false testimony.



NET Notes: Mat 26:65 Grk “Behold now.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here,...

NET Notes: Mat 26:66 Grk “he is guilty of death.” L&N 88.313 states, “pertaining to being guilty and thus deserving some particular penalty – &...

NET Notes: Mat 26:68 Who hit you? This is a variation of one of three ancient games that involved blindfolds.

NET Notes: Mat 26:69 The Greek term here is παιδίσκη (paidiskh), referring to a slave girl or slave woman.

NET Notes: Mat 26:70 Grk “he denied it…saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated...

NET Notes: Mat 26:71 The words “slave girl” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the feminine singular form ἄλλη (allh).


NET Notes: Mat 26:74 It seems most likely that this refers to a real rooster crowing, although a number of scholars have suggested that “cockcrow” is a technic...

NET Notes: Mat 26:75 When Peter went out and wept bitterly it shows he really did not want to fail here and was deeply grieved that he had.
Geneva Bible: Mat 26:57 ( 16 ) And they that had laid hold on Jesus led [him] away to ( a ) Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.
( 16 )...

Geneva Bible: Mat 26:58 But Peter followed him afar off unto the high priest's ( b ) palace, and went in, and sat with the servants, to see the end.
( b ) The word used here...

Geneva Bible: Mat 26:62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? ( c ) what [is it which] these witness against thee?
( c ) How does it come to ...

Geneva Bible: Mat 26:64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, ( d ) Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting ( e ) on the right hand of powe...

Geneva Bible: Mat 26:65 Then the high priest ( g ) rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? behold, now ye have heard his b...

Geneva Bible: Mat 26:69 ( 17 ) Now Peter ( h ) sat without in the palace: and a damsel came unto him, saying, Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee.
( 17 ) Peter by the wonde...

Geneva Bible: Mat 26:74 Then began he to ( i ) curse and to swear, [saying], I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
( i ) He swore and cursed himself.

expand allCommentary -- Verse Range Notes
TSK Synopsis -> Mat 26:1-75
TSK Synopsis: Mat 26:1-75 - --1 Christ foretells his own death.3 The rulers conspire against him.6 The woman anoints his feet.14 Judas bargains to betray him.17 Christ eats the pas...
Maclaren -> Mat 26:57-68; Mat 26:65
Maclaren: Mat 26:57-68 - --The Real High Priest And His Counterfeit
And they that had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the eld...

Maclaren: Mat 26:65 - --Jesus Charged With Blasphemy
Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses?'--Matt....
MHCC -> Mat 26:57-68; Mat 26:69-75
MHCC: Mat 26:57-68 - --Jesus was hurried into Jerusalem. It looks ill, and bodes worse, when those who are willing to be Christ's disciples, are not willing to be known to b...

MHCC: Mat 26:69-75 - --Peter's sin is truly related, for the Scriptures deal faithfully. Bad company leads to sin: those who needlessly thrust themselves into it, may expect...
Matthew Henry -> Mat 26:57-68; Mat 26:69-75
Matthew Henry: Mat 26:57-68 - -- We have here the arraignment of our Lord Jesus in the ecclesiastical court, before the great sanhedrim. Observe, I. The sitting of the court; the sc...

Matthew Henry: Mat 26:69-75 - -- We have here the story of Peter's denying his Master, and it comes in as a part of Christ's sufferings. Our Lord Jesus was now in the High Priest's ...
Barclay: Mat 26:57-58 - --No one can read this passage without being struck with the staggering honesty of the New Testament. If ever there was an incident which one might hav...

Barclay: Mat 26:59-68 - --The process of the trial of Jesus is not altogether easy to follow. It seems to have fallen into three parts. The first part took place after the ar...

Barclay: Mat 26:59-68 - --The main business of the night meeting of the Jewish authorities was to formulate a charge against Jesus. As we have seen, all evidence had to be gu...

Constable: Mat 26:1--28:20 - --VII. The crucifixion and resurrection of the King chs. 26--28
The key phrase in Matthew's Gospel "And it came ab...

Constable: Mat 26:57--27:27 - --3. The trials of Jesus 26:57-27:26
Matthew stressed Jesus' righteousness for his readers by high...

Constable: Mat 26:57-68 - --The trial before the Sanhedrin 26:57-68 (cf. Mark 14:53-65; Luke 22:54, 63-65)
Matthew omitted Jesus' hearing before Annas (John 18:12-14, 19-23). Qui...

Constable: Mat 26:69-75 - --Peter's denials of Jesus 26:69-75 (cf. Mark 14:66-72; Luke 22:55-62; John 18:15-18, 25-27)
All four evangelists recorded three denials, but the detail...
College -> Mat 26:1-75
College: Mat 26:1-75 - --MATTHEW 26
VII. THE PASSION AND RESURRECTION OF JESUS 26:1-28:20
Following the discourse (chs. 24-25) the pace of the narrative quickens and leads p...
McGarvey -> Mat 26:57-68; Mat 26:58-75
McGarvey: Mat 26:57-68 - --
CXXVI.
SECOND STAGE OF JEWISH TRIAL. JESUS CONDEMNED
BY CAIAPHAS AND THE SANHEDRIN.
(Palace of Caiaphas. Friday.)
aMATT. XXVI. 57, 59-68; bMARK XIV. ...

McGarvey: Mat 26:58-75 - --
CXXVII.
PETER THRICE DENIES THE LORD.
(Court of the high priest's residence. Friday before and about dawn.)
aMATT. XXVI. 58, 69-75; bMARK XIV. 54, 66...
Lapide -> Mat 26:46-75
Lapide: Mat 26:46-75 - --Ver. 46. Rise, let us be going: behold, he hath come who will betray Me. He bids them rise, not in order to fly with Him, but to go forth to meet Jud...

expand allCommentary -- Other
Evidence: Mat 26:60 Messianic prophecy fulfilled : " Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe o...

Evidence: Mat 26:62 Messianic prophecy fulfilled: "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a...

